Cruising Guides
Straight-talking guides to help you with ships, rooms and ports — and the decisions worth getting right before you book.
No, you can book direct. Most cruisers still use an advisor. What an advisor does, what it costs you, and how to check one out.
Read the guide → Booking & AdvisorsUsually the fare is the same either way. Where the money differs: extras, price drops before final payment, fees, and mistakes.
Read the guide → Ships & FleetsThe 30 largest cruise ships sailing in 2026, ranked by gross tonnage — with the Still Afloat score on every ship that's earned one.
Read the guide → Ports & EmbarkationSailing to Alaska from Vancouver? You clear U.S. Customs before you board — plus terminal, timing, and a smart embarkation-day checklist.
Read the guide → Health at SeaBonine vs Dramamine for cruise seasickness, made simple — active ingredients, label doses, drowsiness, plus Bonamine, Gravol, Avomine, ginger, bands, and the patch.
Read the guide → First-TimersCruise line, itinerary, cabin and budget without surprises: the low-stress way to pick a first cruise that fits you.
Read the guide → Health at SeaDramamine is Benadryl with a shot of espresso. Not a metaphor — that is what's in the box. So can you just take the Benadryl?
Read the guide → Money & OffersThat free-cruise offer is real — and it's math, not magic. What casino offers include, what's extra, and the one honest question to ask before chasing one.
Read the guide → Loyalty & StatusVIFP is gone and Carnival Rewards took its place on September 1, 2026. What changed, every date that matters, and what a Platinum or Diamond cruiser should do now.
Read the guide → Money & ProtectionThe box at checkout and a third-party policy do different jobs. What each one pays, in what currency, and how I would choose.
Read the guide →Talk to Mark — a real cruise advisor who has sailed it himself, not a call center. Honest picks, no pressure, and no booking fees to you.
Work with Mark →