Despite Outbreak on Old Ship, Statendam Still Outstanding

For a ship going into dry dock, cruiser califgary saw little sign of disrepair or pre-construction onboard Holland America’s 20-year-old Statendam. Sailing through the Panama Canal, califgary was impressed with the port talks and canal information, as well as the overall friendly demeanor of every crewmember on the ship. Even during a “Code Red” gastrointestinal [...]

Udderly Impressed with Liberty of the Seas

Cruiser and amateur juggler jeditden booked his trip  onboard Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas to stay in the Ben and Jerry’s suite almost a year in advance. From free ice cream daily to specialty lounge access, jeditden was impressed by the perks and service onboard Liberty, not to mention the nightly entertainment, including a [...]

Norwegian & Carnival: “Like a Cadillac Compared to a Kia”

In comparing Carnival and Norwegian, 305Fraggle awarded high marks to the latter after her latest Bahamas cruise onboard Norwegian Sky. In seven categories, from price, balcony space and service, to food and drink, entertainment and the ship itself, 305Fraggle depicts her previous cruise on Carnival Imagination to be a three-ring circus compared with her experience [...]

Family-Friendly Alaska with Princess

With nine other adults and four boys in tow, manydogs managed her expectations for an Alaska cruise onboard Golden Princess from Seattle, her first with Princess, but admits the whole gang had a great time. Despite “ordinary” reception areas and some forgettable food, manydogs and her family were charmed by spectacular staff, exclusive kids’ activities [...]

Entertaining, But Hard to Swallow

Traveling with four other couples for his wedding anniversary, ratlas handed out a few fives regarding his experience onboard MSC Poesia for a 10-night Eastern Mediterranean cruise but vows never to sail with MSC again– even if it were free! Despite friendly front-desk service, great entertainment, well-organized shore excursions and an attractive ship, sometimes if [...]

Staying Positive When the Drink’s Half Empty

Repeat Carnival cruiser SusieQ4U struggled with slow service during her six-day Caribbean cruise onboard Carnival Breeze. While she found it surprisingly hard to wet her whistle, SusieQ4U would wait hours just for Jimmy’s BBQ, or pay the cover for the bread alone at Farenheit 555 steakhouse. Learn about the highs and lows of a busy balcony, how [...]

Stranded in New Zealand, Not Crazy About Nutmeg

Sixty-day cruiser Prettygirl noticed some definite differences between the first and second halves of her San Francisco repositioning and Australia to New Zealand circumnavigation cruise onboard Sea Princess. From mediocre Anytime Dining, to dining on buttered bread as a stranded passenger in a local New Zealand gym, Prettygirl experienced many of the highs and lows [...]

Cruising Italy in the Laid-Back Lap of Luxury

Laid-back luxury cruiser Doc P was just as pleased with his second cruise aboard the 312-passenger Wind Surf as with his first. This ain’t no mega-ship teeming with activities like rock-climbing and ice-skating — it was Wind Surf’s elegant atmosphere and “fabulous crew” that made the transit between ports including Capri, Sorrento and Corsica a [...]