Essential Cruise Tips

If you've ever been invited to bid for a cruise cabin upgrade, you probably assumed (like me) that the highest bid wins. But, that's not how it works at all. After losing an upgrade to another passenger who had bid less...

Some cruises look perfect on paper. The ship, the itinerary, the price, the promise. But after more than 130 cruises, I've learned there are some cruises I would never book again — or would only book under very specific...

I went on my first ever sailing ship cruise expecting something magical, different, and perhaps even better than a regular cruise ship. Instead, after the very first night, I was seriously wondering if I had made a huge...

I've transited the Panama Canal six times, and I am still completely obsessed with it. In this video, I take you with me on a full Panama Canal transit from the Pacific side across to the Caribbean / Atlantic side...

After 100+ regular ocean cruises, I finally tried a sailing ship cruise — and almost everything I assumed going in turned out to be wrong.I sailed with Windstar on their 342-passenger flagship Wind Surf, an 8-night...

South America cruising delivered some of the most spectacular sights I have ever experienced — but also a few costly, frustrating, and very unexpected lows. On my recent 31-night South America cruise, I filmed live...

South America cruises can be spectacular — penguins in the Falklands, Cape Horn, Glacier Alley Chile, fascinating cities in Peru and Chile, end of the world in Ushuaia, Buenos Aires, Lima, Montevideo and more. But after...

I've now been on 11 Holland America cruises, including my most recent 31-night South America sailing — and despite having so many cruise lines to choose from, I keep coming back. But Holland America is not perfect. In...

It costs $1,200 to take the Belmond Hiram Bingham train to Machu Picchu — roughly $1,000 more than the standard train option. So, was this luxury rail journey through the Andes an unforgettable once-in-a-lifetime...

I just spent 44 out of the last 60 days living on board Holland America ships, and I saw passengers making the same expensive mistakes over and over again. From missing out on the best food to overpaying for their...

I abandoned my ship mid-cruise for three days to see one of the most iconic sights in the world: Machu Picchu. But after booking an eye-wateringly expensive $5,000 excursion with Holland America, I started to realise...

It took a lot of coaxing — and in some cases, waiting until crew had left life at sea — to uncover what actually happens behind the scenes on a cruise ship that most passengers have no idea about, and how they work. And...

Solo cruising is getting harder… and most people haven't noticed yet. After 87 solo cruises, I'm seeing some big changes that could make cruising alone more expensive, more limited — and in some cases, much less...

For years, I've shared what I believed were the smartest cruise tips—strategies that worked time and time again. But on my most recent cruise, something surprising happened. By doing the opposite of what I used to...

If I could only cruise 10 more times in my life… these are the ones I would choose. After 20+ years and 128 cruises, I've discovered that not all cruises are created equal. Some are enjoyable… but others are truly...