Time 2 Cruise

When choosing a cruise, does the ship or the destination hold more weight in your decision? For my wife and me, it’s undoubtedly the ship that takes precedence. While we love cruising, we’re not big beachgoers, and most cruise destinations only allow for daytime visits, which means we rarely get to experience the local nightlife. As a result, the ship itself becomes the focal point of our vacation. Over the past 25 years, we’ve witnessed remarkable changes in the size and sophistication of cruise ships. Our first cruise was aboard the now-retired from Carnival, the Carnival Holiday. At 728 feet long and accommodating 1,450 passengers, it’s a modest vessel compared to the colossal ships of today. Modern ships often exceed 1,000 feet in length and carry more than 4,000 passengers, offering an array of amenities and activities that were unimaginable back then. Looking ahead to 2025, cruise enthusiasts have much to anticipate with the launch of several groundbreaking ships: MSC - World Am...

It seems like there are so many different food allergies or intolerances today.  While I do not have what I consider any allergies, I do classify as being intolerant to a few different food items.  Eating them isnt going to put me in the hospital but can cause discomfort. This is why I took an interest in the latest from Carnival Cruise Line’s recent initiatives to enhance passenger dining experiences are a significant leap forward in promoting safety, inclusivity, and customer satisfaction. The introduction of Menu Mate software could become a groundbreaking development in food allergy management aboard cruise ships. By integrating touchscreen tablets across food venues, Carnival empowers guests with the ability to make informed dining decisions effortlessly. The technology works by identifying allergens in menu items and ensuring that meals align with passengers' specific dietary requirements. This innovation significantly mitigates the risks of allergic reactions, offe...

 We just booked our 14th Carnival Cruise.  This time on the Firenze.  It has been a while.  But when we were on the Disney Wish, it was a last minute thing that we did while traveling already to add it to our month long road trip, so we did not have our "cruise essentials".    The one thing I try not to forget to pack is 1 or 2 large binder clips.  We use these on the balcony curtains.  This is something I need to start brining to some hotels too but for the ship it has been a must have item. Why, some may ask.  Well, one cruise long ago, we had a lot of sea movement.  That beam of light when taking a nap or sleeping in is bad enough but when its moving and becoming a lighthouse beacon of light flashing in your eyes every 10 seconds, its nap over. So what is your must have that people may not think about?  Not the standard things, or anything that you have to sneak on, just some random item people may not think to have, but helps wi...

 As the 2024 Hurricane season is going out with a bang, many people are not thinking about their next cruise right now, or wondering what other cruising options are available next year that are not in hurricane alley.   This is a great time to start planning an Alaska Cruise.  These cruises only operate from May until September due to weather.  By no means is an Alaskan Cruise going to be a fun in the sun wear your bathing suit everywhere cruise, but it is something every avid cruise fan should have on their bucket list. May and September will be the coldest, but can come with bigger discounts along with better availability being these are still during school season..   The more popular dates are around the Summer Solstice.  The week leading into and from the longest day of the year gives the best opportunity to enjoy the "midnight sun". There are plenty of tours to do, however, the closer you are to the start or end of the season can limit some o...

 There are a lot of pros to decreasing the carbon footprint of even just 1 cruise ship, but when you think about the fact that there are now over 320+(and growing) ships currently in service, the impact is exponential.  But as cruise lines work to meet standards, either set by governments, or even themselves, they have to be careful to not step on expectations of the guests on board.  This is where some cons come in. The  (current) lifespan of an ocean Cruise Ship is between 17 and 30 years.  Once they are no longer in service, they usually go to a cruise ship graveyard to be dismantled.  The process is dirty and not environmentally friendly, but getting better.  There is a really cool article here that you can read about it.  Before that happens, a ship will go through a few dry dock refurbishments to improve guest experience and updates to remove the dated feel along with working on decreasing the carbon footprint of the ship.   Howev...

Whether you're a fan of themed cruises or not, they are definitely growing in popularity. I’ve personally experienced both sides of the coin. First, I sailed on Shiprocked, a music-themed cruise where my wife and I got to enjoy some of our favorite bands. Then, I unexpectedly found myself on a Carnival cruise where over half the ship was dedicated to a Country Music theme week, which we hadn’t planned for. There are generally two types of themed cruises. I’m focusing on those where passengers pay extra to join a theme—whether it’s Comicon, music genres, LGBTQ+, TV shows (yes, those exist!), and more. These differ from onboard seasonal events, like Halloween themes organized by the cruise line, where everyone can join the fun. I’ve done those too, and they’re a blast! Themed cruises offer a lot of benefits if you're into the theme. You can meet celebrities, connect with like-minded people, and fully immerse yourself in your passion. However, participating in these events usually...

 You may have seen that Royal Caribbean has recently added "outlet extenders" to their list of prohibited items.  This is any device that splits an outlet, including surge protectors.  But what other things should you leave at home beyond the obvious, like fireworks, irons, and electric kettles? To much cash:  When you re enter the U.S. you have to declare cash in excess of $10,000 regardless of where you started with it.   Drones: While this should be easily understandable, they don't want you getting any ideas about flying your toy off the deck of the ship, and many ports of call prohibit bringing them ashore, so it makes sense to just prohibit them in the first place. Straws and Plastic Bags:  This one was not something I thought about before but with cruise lines focusing on the environment, banning single use bags and straws makes sense.  We did notice that on our most recent cruise it was paper straws and only on request. Mini Star Link Sate...

Being a big Star Wars fan, I got to cross off a bucket list item I didn't think I would. Get to visit the Hyperspace Lounge.  But this post is not about that even though it was part of why we (I) decided to cruise Disney.  We had to be in Florida and we're looking for something to do on the weekend whe the Disney Wish popped up in our search. Being we don't have children, we were hesitant, but the price was right (we'll for Disney). Cost for 4 day, 3 night on the Disney Wish with all taxes and gratuities was just under $2000.  Being close to Halloween, it was a Halloween cruise, with trick it treating and encouraged costume wearing for all, not just kids, which probably added to the cost. This is about double what a comparable cabin on Carnival would have cost but we took the plug anyway. I'm going to start with our con list first.  No casino if you like to gamble Theater seats not very comfortable  Yep that was it.  Now the pro list. This isn't necessarily...

 My wife and I have been on themed cruises before, both as guests sailing with the theme part of the cruise and also as normal cruiser that was not aware there was a themed cruise until we were already onboard.  Taking a themed cruise can be great!  We did Shiprocked a while ago and if you are into Rock would highly recommend it!   However, we went on a cruise we booked months in advance to find out it had a Country Music theme going on.  What this meant for us and the others not part of the theme was many venues were off limits and standard shows were canceled.  If we had known before we booked, it may have changed the date we chose or even the ship/destination. Now, with less than a month before the inaugural Comicon Cruise, there are still rooms available.  As someone who does Comicon, had this been at a better time, we may have tried to make it work for us, but not this year.  But with rooms available, would you book this cruise, or any c...