CruiseStar
CruiseStar journal
Stories from the fleet
Guides, sailor adventures, and notes on the ships people actually sail. Every published piece names its author.
31 results for “Ship vs ship”
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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 · 3 min
Cruise ship comparator: compare ships side by side before you book
How to compare cruise ships on score, size, and space ratio, and why CruiseStar’s free ship comparator is built for the searches people actually make.
CruiseStar
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Adventure · 2 min
Taino Bay Puerto Plata: Dominican pier, cable car, and Amber Cove differences
Taino Bay is the newer Puerto Plata cruise terminal near downtown. Compare operators, excursions, and how it differs from Amber Cove on the same coast.
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
Cruise Wi-Fi package: how it works and whether it is worth it
How cruise Wi-Fi packages work, what speeds to expect, per-device pricing, streaming limits, and a simple way to decide if onboard internet is worth buying.
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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Adventure · 2 min
Grand Turk cruise center: beach at the pier, Cockburn Town, and reef snorkel
Grand Turk Cruise Center offers pier-side beach and pools. Add Cockburn Town history, Gibbs Cay stingrays, or snorkel trips on Turks and Caicos port days.
CruiseStar
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Guide · 6 min
Airport to cruise port transportation: shuttles, rideshare, taxis, and transfers
How to get from the airport to the cruise port: cruise line transfers, shared shuttles, rideshare, taxis, rental cars, hotels, timing buffers, and luggage tips for embarkation day.
CruiseStar
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Adventure · 3 min
Roatán Honduras: West Bay reef, West End vibe, and cruise pier choices
Bay Islands port days center on Mesoamerican reef access. Compare Mahogany Bay and Town Center piers, West End, West Bay Beach, and snorkel logistics.
CruiseStar
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Adventure · 2 min
Philipsburg and Sint Maarten: Front Street, dual-nation days, Maho Beach
Dutch-side Philipsburg cruise piers, Great Bay Beach, Front Street shopping, optional French-side lunch, and Maho Beach plane watching on a port timer.
CruiseStar
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Guide · 5 min
Where to find cruise groups for your sailing date (and why CruiseStar fits)
Looking for a cruise roll call or sailing group for your exact dates? Compare Facebook groups, forums, and CruiseStar roll calls, ship chat, friends, and sailor ratings.
CruiseStar
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Adventure · 2 min
St. Thomas cruise port: Havensight, Crown Bay, Magens Bay, and island taxis
USVI port days split between Havensight and Crown Bay. Compare piers, Magens Bay beach runs, Charlotte Amalie shopping, and taxi logistics.
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 · 4 min
Main dining room vs specialty restaurants on a cruise
Main dining room vs specialty restaurants: what is included, when specialty is worth the fee, reservation timing, dress expectations, and how to mix both without wasting money.
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
Mahahual port day: Costa Maya pier, village beach, and reef time
How Mahahual differs from the Costa Maya cruise complex, what to do on a short call, and how to plan hours ashore without missing all-aboard.
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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Adventure · 3 min
San Juan cruise port guide: Old San Juan, forts, and homeport sailings
San Juan Puerto Rico for cruisers: Pier 1 calls, Old San Juan forts and cobblestones, southern Caribbean homeport embarkation, and timing your day ashore.
CruiseStar
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Adventure · 3 min
Costa Maya cruise port guide: Mahahual beaches and Mayan ruins day trips
Costa Maya Mexico port day: cruise village, Mahahual beach walk, Chacchoben ruins tours, taxis, and independent time ashore on the Yucatan coast.
CruiseStar
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Adventure · 3 min
Perfect Day at CocoCay guide: Chill Island, Thrill Island, and what is included
Royal Caribbean CocoCay (Perfect Day): beaches, Thrill Waterpark, included vs ticketed areas, and planning a private island day without missing all-aboard.
CruiseStar
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Adventure · 3 min
Cozumel cruise port guide: reefs, San Miguel, and making your hours count
Cozumel port day: dock vs tender, snorkeling and diving, San Miguel shopping, taxis, and timing your return for Mexico's busiest cruise island.
CruiseStar
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Guide · 4 min
Balcony vs interior vs oceanview: is the cabin upgrade worth it?
Balcony vs interior vs oceanview cabins: real differences in space, light, noise, motion, and price, plus when each category is worth the upgrade on a mainstream cruise.
CruiseStar
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Adventure · 3 min
Port Everglades cruise guide: Fort Lauderdale homeport without the Miami crush
Sail from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale: terminals, FLL airport, parking, and how this Florida homeport compares to Miami for Caribbean weeks.
CruiseStar
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Guide · 3 min
Cruise ship fleet statistics 2026: size, capacity, and orderbook data
Current cruise ship fleet statistics covering vessel count, lower berths, ship-size mix, new ships, fuel flexibility, shore power, and water systems.
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 · 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
Icon of the Seas vs Oasis of the Seas: which ship should you book?
Same Royal Caribbean DNA, different eras, neighborhoods, thrills, and who each ship is actually built for, with live CruiseStar ratings and sailor reviews.
CruiseStar
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Guide · 2 min
Icon of the Seas vs Oasis of the Seas: which ship should you book?
Same Royal Caribbean DNA, different eras, neighborhoods, thrills, and who each ship is actually built for, with live CruiseStar ratings and sailor reviews.
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
Flexible dining vs. a fixed seating time: which one actually fits how you travel?
My Time Dining, Anytime Dining, and Freestyle explained against traditional early and late seating, and how to switch if you picked wrong.
CruiseStar