Thursday, February 25, 2016

First lawsuit filed for storm-tossed Anthem of the Seas trip

That didn't take long. Less than a month after Hurricane winds forced the Anthem of the Seas to turn around and head back to New Jersey, a passenger has filed suit against Royal Caribbean. He claims that during the storm, he was tossed about the deck and then unable to get medical attention because the facilities were closed during the storm.

While passengers sue the cruise companies all the time, I don't see this one going far. Ultimately he is healthy and the ship's crew followed storm-related procedures. Was there really negligence? Royal Caribbean has also refunded and credited passengers who experienced the storm.

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

The best dumb cruise questions

You've probably heard your Cruise Director break out a few of the classic jokes about dumb questions. Something like "where does the crew sleep?" They're classics because they're funny and because we've all had a few of those head scratching moments while on a cruise. Paul Motter collected some of the best in his latest column. Read through so you don't add something to your Cruise Director's next comedy routine.

Monday, February 22, 2016

Cruise Fever: Cruises to avoid

Did you hear about the Rob Gronkowski cruise? It sounds like a great time for Gronk fans. But what about those 1,600 other people who didn't know they were on the Gronk party boat? A specialty party can certainly change the experience of the typical cruise. That is why Cruise Fever's list of "cruises to avoid" is more relevant than ever. Among the list is: "Themed Cruises With Large Groups." The list also includes good tips on ships after drydocking and certain spring break trips. As always, do your research so that you get the trip you want.

Friday, February 19, 2016

Cruise Needs' Tweets of the Week

Thursday, February 18, 2016

Disney rescues wanted hacker at seas

Cruise ships pick up stranded boats and assist with rescues all the time. It is goodwill at sea. Save and help a ship in need and hope that if your ship ever has problems, someone will come to your aid. These rescues make news but are rarely controversial. That is until Disney Cruise Line saved a wanted hacker and turned him over to the FBI.


Martin Gottesfeld was on the run after a series of hacks into Boston medical institutions. He and his wife were traveling by sailboat near Cuba when they put out a distress call. Disney answered and saved the couple. The feds were not far behind.

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Cruise Needs' Instagrams of the Week

A photo posted by @nathanhernandezphotography on
A photo posted by Marissa Ciolino (@omgmgc) on

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Oceania passengers hit with norovirus

More than 80 passengers on the Ocenia Riviera are battling the norovirus. The gastrointestinal illness spread on the ship's most recent 10-day cruise set to conclude February 22. The CDC is aware of the outbreak and is set to inspect the ship when it returns to Miami. In the mean time the crew is taking extra precautions and cleaning the ship in hope of containing the outbreak.

Monday, February 15, 2016

Popular Cruising's review of Star Wars Day at Sea


Last month Disney debuted their Star Wars Day at Sea on the Disney Fantasy. Popular Cruising was there to capture some of the special moments. This video is a little different from Popular Cruising's usual in that Disney folks do most of the talking.

Overall the event seems like a must for any Star Wars fan. It will be interesting to see when and how Disney rolls out the experience on future ships and cruises.

Friday, February 12, 2016

Cruise Needs' Tweets of the Week

Thursday, February 11, 2016

Royal Caribbean to change weather plans after storm scare

As the Anthem of the Seas passenger disembarked Wednesday, the media was there to hear about their cruise from hell. Predictably most of the comments were scary and have them questioning cruising in the future. But the bigger issue for Royal Caribbean was could they have avoided the storm?

Initially the Captain thought the ship could avoid the heavy waves and storms. The plan was to sail ahead of it. That didn't happen. Now Royal Caribbean is going to invest in more weather forecasting in their Miami offices. This should give the crew and the company better information so that they never get that close to a storm again.

The ship is scheduled to return to its normal schedule this week. 

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Cruise Needs' Instagrams of the Week

Happy Chinese New Year 🐒🐒🐒 #vyshnivska_travels #natagoesttothetransatlantic

A photo posted by Natali Vyshnivska (@natavyshnivska) on

Guess the port!

A photo posted by Official Sea Cruisers YouTube (@sea_cruisers) on

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Carnival's Behind the Scenes video Episode 6


The latest Behind the Scenes video from Carnival returns to the non-public spaces on the Carnival Vista. Thee clip discusses the ship's water, power and redundancy. Considering the power issues Carnival faced a few years ago, backup power seems like a prudent idea.

Monday, February 8, 2016

Hurricane winds hit Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas

Royal Caribbean decided to turn the Anthem of the Seas around and head back to New Jersey after the new mega ship survived a storm with hurricane force winds. Passengers caught all the scary moments and damage on social media. Passengers will get a full refund and a discount on a future cruise.

Royal Caribbean has yet to announce plans for the ship or when it will return to its regular schedule. Some criticized the line for sailing into the storm. Fortunately no passengers or crew were injured during the storm.

Friday, February 5, 2016

Cruise Needs' Tweets of the Week,




Thursday, February 4, 2016

Can Crystal save the S.S. United States?

Crystal Cruises is paying $60,000 a month while is performs feasibility tests on the S.S. United States. Why? To see if it can turn the old ocean liner into a unique, modern luxury ship. Even if the refurbishment costs almost as much as a new ship, it still seems like a good investment. A luxury version of the S.S. United States would be unique at sea. The long uncluttered lines and the history are the opposite of the cookie cutter ships coming online now. It is a niche, but Crystal is a niche. We hope it works and we look forward to sailing on the classic ship.

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Lose weight while cruising? It can happen

One of the typical gripes about cruises is that there is too much food and you come off the ship with a few extra pounds. But it doesn't have to be that way. Linda and Richard Eyre have some simple, smart suggestions that will help you control your weight on your next trip.

The one tip we always add: take the stairs. You can't get anywhere on a big ship without switching decks. Taking the steps is a much better idea than taking the elevators over and over.

Monday, February 1, 2016

Disney touting their six shows

Disney Cruise Line made a big splash with their recent debut of Tangled: The Musical. But that is not their only custom, cruise-line only production. The company has six different shows on its four different ships. Some are a mix of great Disney moments into musical reviews. Other new, simple stories that work in Disney themes and songs. The Tangled production is different. Tangled: The Musical adapts and enhances the Disney version of the story into a new experience just for cruisers. All the shows are great and all make Disney Cruise Line special.