Cruise guides
Straight answers for planning your cruise: real costs, choosing a line, cabins and first-timer tips.
Just need a quick answer? Try our cruise questions.
- Is My Cruise Cabin Noisy? How to Check Before You Sail
The usual sources of cabin noise on a cruise ship, how to read your deck plan to spot them, which ones only matter to some people, and what to do if you've already booked a cabin with a catch.
- What a 7-Night Cruise Really Costs: The Full Bill, Line by Line
The advertised fare is only the start. What else you'll pay on a 7-night cruise (taxes and port fees, gratuities, drinks, Wi-Fi, excursions, insurance), a worked example for a couple, and how to keep your onboard bill free of surprises.
- Worried About Seasickness on a Cruise? Pick the Right Cabin, Route and Plan
Where on the ship you'll feel the least motion, which routes tend to be calmer, what actually helps (and what the evidence says about bands and ginger), and how to plan before you sail.
- Which Cruise Line Actually Fits You? Beyond 'Best Cruise Line' Rankings
Why "best cruise line" lists don't help, the four things that really decide which line suits you, how the major lines differ on each, and a quick self-check before you book.
- Is an Interior Cabin Too Small for 4 People? The Real Numbers
How big interior cruise cabins really are, what four people in one feels like day to day, when it works and when it doesn't, and how the cost compares with two cabins.
- Don’t Book Until You Understand Cruise Gratuities: A Plain-Math Breakdown
What cruise gratuities are, what each major line charges per person per night in 2026, the math for a typical 7-night trip, and how drink packages change the picture.