The Lido Deck

Did We Find the Best Internet on a Cruise? Maybe.

If you’re one of those cruisers that can’t fathom being away from ESPN.com for more than eight hours, or twitches if you don’t check your iPhone for messages every 25 minutes, you already know the Internet on a cruise can be, to put it mildly, an exasperating experience. Your ship may have come in, however… [...]

Poll Position: Bending the Rules (or Not)

Maybe it’s just us, but as often as we hear complaints about deck chair hogs, kids infiltrating adult areas and a slew of other cruise-related gripes, we were a little surprised by the results of a recent Daily Poll in which we asked our readers to confess which cruise rules they’re prone to break. What [...]

Fees of the Future? We Think of More Ways You Could Flush Your Money Down the Toilet on a Cruise Ship

We recently spotted a suggestion on the Facebook page of Carnival’s cruise director, John Heald, that caught our eye. A passenger, Brianna P, was upset because she wasn’t allocated a window seat in the main dining room and wrote to Heald: “I am willing to bet that if Carnival started charging a fee for window [...]

Will 4-to-an-Inside Cabin Cruisers Get Room Envy?

We’re big fans of group cruising. Pick the right ship and you can easily accommodate wildly disparate tastes for seven nights. But some of reviewer of the week live2vayk ‘s choices had us a little worried. She was sailing on Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas as part of a four-family, 16-passenger crew — only [...]

Live From Riviera: Does the Godmother Fit the Ship?

In Barcelona, I’m onboard the 66,084-ton, 1,250-passenger Riviera, the newest ship from luxury-mainstream straddlers Oceania Cruises. In preparation for Friday’s christening ceremony, our dock is literally ringing with the sounds of hammers and chisels as workers install stages, lighting towers and a massive flat-screen television to create a mini-arena. No doubt the star of tomorrow’s [...]

Steal of the Week: Sail the Bahamas This Fall from $47 Per Night

Everyone is looking for the deal of the century. So how do you choose the one that’s right for you? Check the Lido Deck each week to get the scoop on our favorite deals — then grab the phone and pack your bags. THE DEAL: Cruise.com is offering a four-night cruise aboard Norwegian Sky, sailing [...]

Live From Avalon Visionary: First Impressions

It’s my first time on a river cruise, and although I’m not yet convinced I like it better than big-ship cruising, I’m certainly intrigued. Most itineraries have no “sea” days, the ships are much more intimate, and passengers focus mainly on destinations instead of racing to and fro onboard to hit the casino, production show [...]

You Don’t Recognize This Guy’s Face, but You’ll Know His Voice. Trust Us.

You never know who you’re going to meet on a cruise ship — rap stars, pop divas, soap actors. The list goes on and on. So when someone told me that Elmo Shropshire (aka Dr. Elmo) was performing with his three-man band onboard the inaugural run of American Queen last week, I naturally said, “Who?” [...]

Poll Position: Fee-Free Fantasy

Over the past several years, avid cruisers have seen more and more added-fee amenities aboard sailings with mainstream cruise lines. From specialty snacks and meals to fitness classes and even ship tours, today’s dailies are teeming with for-fee options. Of course, when you’ve been cruising for years and you’re used to just hopping onboard and [...]

After Concordia: First Impressions From Costa Fascinosa

Aboard the just-launched Costa Fascinosa, things can’t help but feel a little symbolic. An appropriately understated welcome — the christening lacked the aerial acrobats, lasers and celebrities Costa is known for — has given way to cruising as usual, exactly what a line coming out of a period of mourning is looking for. The mood [...]