CruiseStar
CruiseStar journal
Stories from the fleet
Guides, sailor adventures, and notes on the ships people actually sail. Every published piece names its author.
41 results for “Booking”
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Guide · 6 min
Best place to book cruises: how to choose an honest deal (not just a flashy fare)
Looking for the best place to book cruises? Learn how to judge honest cruise deals with price history, all-in costs, and CruiseStar tools like deals, price watch, and the cruise price calculator.
CruiseStar
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Guide · 4 min
How CruiseStar cruise deals work: price history, verification, and smarter shopping
How CruiseStar cruise deals work, why price history matters, how verification keeps listings honest, and how to use price watch and the deals tab without chasing flash sales.
CruiseStar
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Guide · 1 min
Cruise deal price watch: get alerted when a fare drops
How CruiseStar price watch works with the deals bucket list button, notification permission, and price history so you can wait for a better cruise fare.
CruiseStar
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Guide · 5 min
Carnival Just Bundled Everything: FunPacks, a New Drink Tier, and the Fine Print That Matters
Four new bundles from Kidstarter to Epic, a brand-new CHEERS! Social drink tier, and dynamic drink pricing arriving December 1. This is what each pack is actually worth.
CruiseStar
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Guide · 4 min
Royal Caribbean stays in Europe all year: seven ships and winter Canaries cruises in 2028-29
Rhapsody of the Seas becomes the line's first year-round Europe ship with winter Canary Islands sailings; six more ships cover summer. Bookings open October 15, 2026.
CruiseStar
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Guide · 4 min
Princess Plus and Premier prices rise $5 a day starting today
Plus now costs $70 a day pre-cruise, Premier $105. Wi-Fi plans changed too. Here is the math before you click buy.
CruiseStar
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Guide · 3 min
Royal Caribbean's new cancellation policy: what changes on October 11
The 25% cancellation tier is gone. From October 11, canceling a Royal Caribbean sailing in the weeks after final payment can cost twice what it did.
CruiseStar
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Guide · 3 min
The Panama Canal's Biggest Cruise Season Ever Just Opened
220+ transits, five first-timers, and the three biggest ships ever through the new locks. Here is what the record 2026-2027 canal season means for cruisers.
CruiseStar
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Guide · 2 min
Carnival Is Shuffling Ships: Arcadia to Holland America, Queen Anne to P&O in 2029
Arcadia joins Holland America and Queen Anne moves to P&O Cruises in 2029. The dates, the refits, and what it means if you sail either line.
CruiseStar
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Guide · 3 min
Cruise News This Week: A Fleet Shuffle, a Gulf Storm, and Silversea's Big 2028 Reveal
Carnival moves ships between brands, a hurricane eyes the Gulf Coast, and Silversea opens bookings on 103 voyages. What each story means for your next sailing.
CruiseStar
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Adventure · 2 min
Amber Cove port day: Dominican pool complex, cabanas, and trips into Puerto Plata
Amber Cove is Carnival's Dominican north-coast port near Puerto Plata. Plan onsite pools, cabanas, zipline, and optional city or beach breaks without confusing it with Taino Bay.
CruiseStar
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Guide · 9 min
Book a cruise with the cruise line or an independent travel agency?
Should you book a cruise directly with the cruise line or through an independent travel agent? Compare price, onboard credit, support, price drops, and when each option actually wins.
CruiseStar
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Guide · 1 min
Cruise tip calculator: estimate gratuities before you sail
How cruise tip and service charges work by line, and how CruiseStar’s free tip calculator estimates totals for guests and nights.
CruiseStar
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Guide · 4 min
Cruise countdown: the free way to track days until your next sailing
How a cruise countdown builds anticipation, keeps multiple bookings organized, and why CruiseStar’s free countdown tool is built for shareable roll-call energy.
CruiseStar
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Guide · 5 min
Cruise embarkation day: what time can you board and what happens
What happens on cruise embarkation day: boarding times, check-in windows, security, muster, cabin ready timing, luggage, and how to make the first hours onboard calmer.
CruiseStar
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Guide · 4 min
Why use CruiseStar instead of Facebook cruise groups?
Facebook cruise groups are crowded, hard to search, and disappear into the algorithm within days. Here is a detailed look at why sailors are moving their roll calls, ship chat, and cruise history to CruiseStar instead.
CruiseStar
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Guide · 5 min
CruiseStar vs Cruise Critic: which one actually helps you cruise better?
CruiseStar and Cruise Critic both cover cruise ships, but they are built for different jobs. Here is a detailed, feature-by-feature comparison of ratings, reviews, community tools, and why CruiseStar is built around sailors instead of bookings.
CruiseStar
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Guide · 6 min
First-time cruiser tips: what to know before your first ocean sailing
First-time cruiser tips for embarkation, packing, dining, port days, money onboard, and choosing a beginner-friendly ship without brochure overwhelm.
CruiseStar
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Guide · 2 min
Best AIDA Cruises ships and what to expect as a non-German-speaking guest
An AIDA Cruises guide focused on its German-speaking onboard culture, casual club-style atmosphere, and how the Clubschiff and Hyperion-class ships compare.
CruiseStar
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Adventure · 7 min
Cruise line excursions vs independent tours: which should you book?
Should you book shore excursions with the cruise line or an independent tour company? Compare price, all-aboard risk, group size, cancellations, and when each option is safer.
CruiseStar
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Guide · 2 min
Best P&O Cruises ships: family ships versus the adults-only fleet
P&O Cruises compared by audience: family-oriented Iona, Arvia, and Britannia against the historically adults-only Arcadia and Aurora, with UK homeport planning.
CruiseStar
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Guide · 2 min
Best Cunard ships: Queen Mary 2's crossing versus the Queen Anne and Queen Victoria
Compare Cunard's true ocean liner, Queen Mary 2, with the more contemporary Queen Anne, Queen Victoria, and Queen Elizabeth, and understand what White Star Service actually means.
CruiseStar
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Guide · 5 min
Which cruise ship should I choose? A practical decision guide
How to choose a cruise ship by vibe, size, homeport, and sailor ratings, plus free CruiseStar tools to compare hulls before you put down a deposit.
CruiseStar
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Adventure · 3 min
Seattle cruise port guide: Alaska season homeport at Pier 66 and Pier 91
Seattle Alaska cruise homeport: Pier 66 vs Pier 91, airport links, embarkation, and what to expect before Inside Passage sailings from Washington.
CruiseStar
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Guide · 4 min
What to pack for a cruise: a practical packing guide
What to pack for a cruise without overpacking: day clothes, port shoes, formal options, cabin gear, documents, and a free packing list generator sized to your sailing.
CruiseStar
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Guide · 2 min
Best Princess Cruises ships for Alaska, and how the Medallion changes every sailing
A Princess Cruises guide centered on Alaska deployment, Royal-class ships, the Ocean Medallion wearable technology, and how to choose between Princess's classes.
CruiseStar
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Guide · 4 min
Cruise shows and entertainment: do you need reservations?
Do cruise shows need reservations? How theater seating, comedy clubs, ice shows, and premium entertainment work, plus when to book and when walk-up is fine.
CruiseStar
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Guide · 2 min
Best Virgin Voyages ships: comparing the four Ladies for adults-only cruising
Scarlet Lady, Valiant Lady, Resilient Lady, and Brilliant Lady compared for adults-only travelers, with a close look at RockStar Suites and restaurant-style dining strategy.
CruiseStar
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Guide · 4 min
Cruise weather, storms, and hurricane season: will it affect my trip?
How weather, storms, and Atlantic hurricane season affect cruises: itinerary changes, sea days, cancellations, insurance, and what sailors should actually worry about.
CruiseStar
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Guide · 14 min
Cruise ship safety: how to stay safe on a cruise
A detailed cruise ship safety guide covering muster drills, illness, falls, balconies, alcohol, children, solo travel, medical care, excursions, and emergencies.
CruiseStar
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Guide · 2 min
Best Norwegian Cruise Line ships and how Freestyle changes the choice
A Norwegian Cruise Line guide built around Freestyle dining logistics, Prima-class design, The Haven suite complex, and Great Stirrup Cay planning.
CruiseStar
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Adventure · 3 min
PortMiami cruise port guide: Dodge Island embarkation and what to expect
PortMiami on Dodge Island is the largest US cruise passenger port. Terminals, traffic, hotels, and what Caribbean and world itineraries start here.
CruiseStar
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Adventure · 4 min
Port Canaveral cruise guide: Florida homeport tips for embarkation day
Plan a Port Canaveral cruise: parking, Orlando airport timing, terminal layout, and what sails from one of the world's busiest cruise homeports.
CruiseStar
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Guide · 2 min
Ocean cruises vs. river cruises: what's actually different?
Ocean cruising and river cruising are not the same vacation. Here's how ship size, itinerary style, onboard activities, and pricing actually differ, plus why CruiseStar's catalog leads with ocean ships first.
CruiseStar
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Guide · 3 min
How CruiseStar ship ratings work (and why they're different from other sites)
A full breakdown of how CruiseStar's 1-5 star ship ratings are calculated, how they differ from hearts and sailed marks, and why a sailor-only score is more trustworthy than a booking site's review average.
CruiseStar
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Guide · 2 min
Utopia of the Seas vs Wonder of the Seas: which Oasis-class ship should you book?
Same Oasis-class bones, different itinerary and crowd, how Royal Caribbean's short-cruise flagship compares to its longer-sailing sister.
CruiseStar
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Guide · 2 min
9 mistakes first-time mega-ship cruisers make
Embarkation-day queues, the wrong carry-on, and the gratuity surprise, the small errors that catch new sailors on a big ship, and how to skip them.
CruiseStar
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Guide · 2 min
Cruise ship entertainment has changed a lot, here's what to expect
How Broadway-style production shows work onboard, whether you need reservations, what the first and last nights look like, and how entertainment differs by cruise line.
CruiseStar
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Guide · 2 min
Cruising with kids and teens: what parents actually need to know before booking
How kids club age groups work, whether teens really enjoy cruising, babysitting options, and the family cabin questions every parent runs into.
CruiseStar
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Guide · 2 min
Picking the right cruise cabin: what actually matters beyond the category
Interior vs. oceanview vs. balcony, why location matters more than most first-timers realize, and how to avoid booking a noisy or motion-heavy stateroom.
CruiseStar
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Guide · 2 min
Is specialty dining on a cruise worth it? A practical look at cost, timing, and value
How much specialty restaurants actually cost, when to book them, whether a dining package makes sense, and what to expect if you show up without a reservation.
CruiseStar