Are you getting itchy feet waiting for your next cruise? Is the call of the open sea getting too loud to ignore? Are you longing for those "faraway places with the strange-sounding names"? What to do?
Well, there are several options. Obviously, you'll be digging through the wealth of information on our Web site, researching ships, itineraries and ports, and chatting with future shipmates. You'll read member reviews, ask all those questions that need answers and get help from the members who've been before you. But there is something else....
In a word: Web cams, those marvelous devices that allow you to be there even before you leave home for the cruise port. Better than a video or a virtual tour, these techno aids put you on the spot live (or nearly so) with a view from your ship's bridge -- and sometimes more. An incredible and ever-increasing number of ports from Miami to San Juan and Sydney to Tahiti are also at your immediate disposal. Now you can get a feel for your voyage before you pack, and "practice" your destination before you go, with up-to-the-minute weather and info even videos can't provide.
This is not to say that Web cams are perfect, though. The picture is not always totally clear, and they still have a tendency to go offline at times for no apparent reason, though it should be said that both of these problems are much less frequent than they used to be (Web cams have been vastly improved even in the last year or so). Color differentiation/transmission still seems to be a problem, more on ships than with land-based Web cams. It should also be noted that a high-speed connection improves images all around -- and is truly necessary for any streaming video. Also, times given are generally GMT (the standard).
And yes, the ship's view of the dock at Maui may look just like the view of the dock at Palermo, but hang in there. Watch as a ship, any ship, arrives or leaves from a port, or heads toward the sunset at the Golden Gate or the rising sun at dawn off the coast of Madagascar. It'll get ya.
Here's a rundown of our favorite Web cams at sea and on land, with a few special highlights.
Ship Shots
Best in Show: Princess Cruises Why: Princess' Web site is a great place to start if you're not too familiar with the Web cam world. Every ship in the fleet has a bridge cam, giving you a captain's-eye view over the bow. Above the image is the ship's position, which lets you know where the ship is docked or, if it's at sea, which port it's headed to next.
Fun and Different: Other cool features available on certain ships include "180 Bridge" views, in which the camera pans in a slow circle around the bridge, and wedding chapel cams, which allow family and friends who can't make it to an onboard ceremony to peek in from home. For the truly obsessed, the Web cams are also available for download onto your computer's desktop.
Caveat: The image quality isn't always great, particularly on the bridge cams.
Runner-Up: Costa Cruises Why: Access, presentation and information. Costa's Web site has been extensively redesigned, and the Web cam page is now accessed by a tab right on the home page masthead. The entire fleet is included and a world map graphic pinpoints each of the ships at their current location. Just pick and click.
Fun and Different: Once you click, the graphic zeroes in on the ship's location and itinerary. Click again and there's the bridge view, along with details on the ship's position and speed, along with local weather conditions, including air temperature, wind conditions, even humidity.
Caveat: Though improved, pictures are still sometimes not clear; the camera is often offline or out of focus. Also, like most ships, night is night unless there's a brightly lit shore nearby.
Full Fleet Views
Like the lines noted above, several other mainstream cruises do offer Web cam views on each and every one of their ships. These include Crystal, Cunard, NCL and P&O. P&O Australia's Web site features not only Web cams on its own ships, but also those of its parent P&O and its sister line Princess.
NCL's Web cams offer excellent views, but suffer from frequent color lapses or blank screens. Their system needs a full review.
Partial Peeks
Surprisingly, two of the most prominent operations in the cruise business have only limited Web cam presence. Carnival offers views on just two of its current ships, Carnival Liberty and Carnival Valor. (Note: On the Carnival Liberty page, the listing for the Web cam does not always immediately appear. Hitting refresh usually does the trick.)
Royal Caribbean only offers a single Web cam view fleetwide, and that's an interior shot of the Royal Promenade on Voyager of the Seas. There is a Web cam view on RCCL's Explorer of the Seas, but it's provided by the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science as part of a research lab aboard. The site offers a bow view, lab views, and info and data that is constantly updated.
A Tie for Last Place....
Even with the recent spread of cruise ship Web cams, several major cruise lines have chosen not to offer them. These include Disney, Holland America, MSC, Regent Seven Seas, Seabourn, Silversea and Windstar, among others. Whether they will add them remains to be seen; they're a nice touch to be sure and we'll be happy to include them.
Ports and Places
If the increase in the number of Web cams on cruise ships is impressive, it's nothing compared to their proliferation on land. Sometimes it seems that they have popped up everywhere and for any and every reason.
Most Gorgeous Web Cam: Tahiti Why: While many Web cams are depressingly gray, this Tahiti Web cam actually comes close to capturing the color and beauty of its destination. Tahiti Nui Travel maintains cams on the islands of Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora, Manihi and Tahaa, providing crisp, clear images of the region's sun-drenched palm trees and crystal waters.
Fun and Different: There's an archived gallery of striking images captured by the cams in the past, including shots of Paul Gauguin and Tahitian Princess docked in Tahiti. Just click on "Photo Gallery" and then "Webcam Archives."
Caveat: At the time of this writing, the Web cam on Papeete, Tahiti is temporarily not working due to building maintenance.
Best Interactive Web Cams: Miami and San Diego Why: While most cams only offer one view, the Web cams for San Diego and Miami take the technology to a new level, allowing users to select from dozens of cameras, zoom in and out on a particular view, and even see 360-degree panoramas.
Fun and Different: Our favorite feature is the time lapse footage, in which a sequence of archived stills shows everything from Super Bowl fireworks over San Diego to hurricane clouds gathering over Miami. You can also watch cruise ships pulling into port.
Caveat: Both sites provide mostly aerial views, so you don't get to see the cities from the street level.
Best City Overviews: Hong Kong and Galveston Why: Both Hong Kong and Galveston offer Web cams that are great for visitors, offering a number of views of their most popular attractions. In Hong Kong, you can check out Victoria Harbor or Causeway Bay, or see some amazing aerial shots of the city's skyline. Planning a visit to Galveston? Get a sneak peek at the Strand, a street in the historical district, or check out views of the beach or harbor.
Fun and Different: The Hong Kong Tourist Board, which supplies the cams for that city, recognizes that many folks are visiting the Web cams in the middle of the night, so they also include stills from earlier in the day to give visitors an what the area usually looks like.
Caveat: Many of Galveston's cams look rather similar, offering waterfront views. We'd love to see more shots of the town itself.
Best Streaming Web Cam: Nice Why: Picture yourself on the French Riviera with these Web cams from Nice. We love the streaming video, which pans across the city's waterfront promenade. The video includes information on the current temperature, humidity, and wind speed and direction.
Fun and Different: Recognizing that many folks have slower Internet connections that might not support the video stream, the Nice Convention and Visitors Bureau also offers a more traditional Web cam view, which refreshes every 16 seconds.
Caveat: The streaming video is not live -- it's usually a recording from about 20 minutes prior to when you're actually seeing it.
Best "Port"folio By Far: Cargolaw Why: Assembled by the Los Angeles legal firm of Countryman & McDaniel, this site is a virtual encyclopedia of the shipping industry. For port (and other) Web cam images, visit the site and scroll down.
Fun and Different: You will have access to not only an incredible number of ports from Iceland to Sydney, but also rivers and coasts and space itself. There even is a section for ships (click Vessels).
Caveat: This site contains masses of information, a great proportion of which has nothing to do with traveling, or even cruising. Initially, at least, just try the "Trans-Cams" section noted here.
Best "Where in the World": 123cam Why: If you visit the site, you will immediately understand our fascination with it. It divides the world into eight different geographical sections, but it also allows you to focus on capital cities, famous locations and an incredible number of other special categories.
Fun and Different: This site also has a separate section for cruise ships.
Caveat: Unless you are very focused, you will easily find yourself wandering all over. Come to think of it, there's nothing wrong with that anyway.
Honorable Mentions
Best "One-Stop Shop": Kroooz-Cams
Its excellent and balanced combination of both cruise-ship cams and a nice selection of port cams makes this a great one-stop collection. The site is also well put together and easy to use. To top it off, it came to our attention from a member's recommendation (we love that!).
Best "Something Different": Sailwx This site contains no Web cams. Actually, it contains no pictures at all. It doesn't belong here except for the fact that it's a perfect complement to Web cam viewing -- the site is like a giant GPS for ships. It allows you to hone in on a geographic section of the world's oceans or cruise ships only. You can pinpoint a ship's position and even check its past track, adding another dimension to a Web cam view. It's not totally accurate (only certain ships will show), but it's neat.
A Final Thought
As all of the above makes abundantly obvious, Web cams have certainly made the world available at the click of a mouse. They can help feed your dreams and then your plans. However, there is however no real substitute for the real deal. So take a look at some of these sites, and then book your cruise and start packing -- go, see it for yourself, live and in person!
Want to see your Web cam suggestion here? Send an email to editor@cruisecritic.com with your favorite Web cam.
--Written by Sarah Schlichter, Editor for Cruise Critic's sister site, IndependentTraveler.com. Updated by Glenn Tucker, Cruise Critic Contributor.
Images appear coutesy of Tahiti Nui Travel, Carnival, Celebrity and Galveston.com.
Are you getting itchy feet waiting for your next cruise? Is the call of the open sea getting too loud to ignore? Are you longing for those "faraway places with the strange-sounding names"? What to do?
Best in Show: Princess Cruises
Surprisingly, two of the most prominent operations in the cruise business have only limited Web cam presence. 
