Poll Position: The Law of the Lido

With lots of maritime practices being called into question of late, it’s clear onboard rules and regulations are necessary. Some, however, need to be tightened, and others could stand to be loosened a bit. We decided to ask our readers which one of four popular “laws of the lido” they’d most like to see amended.

Poll Position: Will You Still Cruise?

A few weeks ago, when Carnival Triumph had engine troubles that left more than 4,000 passengers adrift at sea with little power, we posed a question to our readers about whether the incident would hamper their love of cruising. The response was an overwhelming “no way!” Now, following a week in which Carnival Dream, Carnival [...]

Poll Position: Triumph or Tragedy? Has Carnival Done Enough?

Last week, Cruise Critic headquarters was consumed by the news that Carnival Triumph had experienced a fire, leaving more than 4,000 passengers without power, hot food and working toilets. We monitored the saga closely as the ship was aided by sister vessels and eventually towed to Mobile. Now that everyone is safely ashore and officials [...]

Would You Think Twice About Cruising?

“Just wondering…. given all the dire reports from the Carnival ship this week, is it putting anyone off of cruising?” asks Cruise Critic boards member, startwin. Some version of this question echoes in many minds, from both industry and consumer bases, after any disaster: Would you get back in a car, plane, train, or in [...]

Poll Position: ‘Big Game’ Homeports

Hype was everywhere during the past week as the 49ers geared up to take on the Ravens in Super Bowl XLVII. Even if you’re not the biggest football fan, you may still be able to appreciate a good commercial or two … or a valid excuse to eat enough to feed a small army. As [...]

Line to Compensate Cruisers After Detouring to Save Shipwrecked Sailor

The following post first appeared on Conde Nast Traveler’s The Daily Traveler blog. Should cruise passengers be compensated when their voyage goes off-course because of a search-and-rescue mission? That’s the question we’re pondering today, in response to the dramatic rescue effort of Orion Expeditions‘ officers and crew when they went to a lot of trouble [...]

Poll Position: Which New Cruise Ship Has You Excited?

As 2012 winds down, we here at the Cruise Critic offices are looking to 2013 and wondering which of the upcoming new ships have you flat-out fidgeting with curiosity. There are tons of river ships launching, in addition to larger vessels like Royal Princess, Norwegian Breakaway and MSC Preziosa, among others.

Poll Position: Seasonal Sailing

As the late-fall chill sets in, it’s gotten the folks here at Cruise Critic thinking about voyages to warmer climes. But that doesn’t mean cold-weather sailings don’t have merit. It had us wondering which season is best for setting sail.