When it comes to cruising, we think that longer is better.  Recently though we enjoyed the newly refurbished Norwegian Sky for a three night sailing, and it reminded us that sometimes a weekend getaway on a great ship is just what the doctor ordered.  Ric and Billy talk about their staterooms, the various packages NCL offers, as well as dining, drinking, and enjoying all that Norwegian Sky and Great Stirrup Cay has to offer.   Link Related to This Episode   Norwegian Sky 3 Night Cruise Live Bloghttps://www.cruisehabit.com/tags/norwegian-sky-live-blog The Best Time to Cruise - CruiseHabit Podca ..read more

Cruise pricing can require a lit bit of explanation, but sales and promotions can be even more confusing.  Some promotions aren't combinable, sales can take percentages off rates that aren't easily found, and different packages offer different levels of value depending on what you're looking for.  Whether you're hunting for the best deal, or just trying to understand how much a cruise will cost you, we'll try and make it a bit easier to understand.   Link Related to This Episode How Much Does it Cost to Dock a Cruise Ship?https://www.cruisehabit.com/how-much-does-it-cost-dock-cruise-ship Shoul ..read more

Usually when we think of planning for a cruise, the thoughts are about fun, relaxation, and getting away from it all. Things happen though, and travel insurance can help take the sting out of unfortunate circumstance - but only if you understand it, and buy the right type of policy for your needs.  We've discussed trip insurance before at CruiseHabit.com, but with hurricane season just beginning, we thoughts we'd cover the seven things you should know about travel insurance.   Link Related to This Episode     How to Pick the Right Travel Insurance Policy for Your Next Cruisehttps://www.CruiseH ..read more

On this special episode we sat down with Frank Del Rio, the President and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings.  We discuss his journey from a boy in Cuba to the CEO of a publicly traded company, the cruise industry's growth potential, fleet expansions, what he's most excited about at NCL, Oceania, & Regent Seven Seas, and more.      Links Related to This Episode Norwegian Sky Emerges From Three-Week Drydock with New Lounges, Starbucks, Sushi Bar, and Morehttps://www.cruisehabit.com/norwegian-sky-emerges-three-week-drydock-new-lounges-starbucks-sushi-bar-and-more OceaniaNEXT, Including a ..read more

Looking back on great cruises is nice, but looking forward to those trips we have ahead of us is even more exciting.  On this episode Ric and Billy discuss their 2018 cruises and talk about where they'll be sailing in 2019.   Link Related to This Episode MSC Seaside Live Bloghttps://www.cruisehabit.com/tags/msc-seaside-live-blog Mariner of the Seas Live Bloghttps://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/boards/index.php?/topic/9322-mariner-of-the-seas-liveishblog-917-922/ Celebrity Infinity Live Bloghttps://www.cruisehabit.com/tags/celebrity-infinity-live-blog Celebrity Edge Live Bloghttps://www.cruisehab ..read more

Planning a cruise requires a lot of decision making.  Some things come down to preference, but if you're looking for the cheapest time of the year to cruise Alaska or the Caribbean we can help.  After analyzing thousands of price points across the year, we go over the most economical and most expensive times to sail, as well as why the time of year matters.   Link Related to This Episode Which cruise line is best for me? The differences between cruise lines. (explaining different types of lines)https://www.cruisehabit.com/which-cruise-line-best-me-differences-between-cruise-lines What are repo ..read more

In part two of our review of Celebrity Edge, we start discussing the entertainment options around Edge, mention some crew members and officers, and even cover what we wish was different on this great new ship.  If you've not yet listened to the first part of this episode, you can find it linked in the show notes below, along with pictures, video, and more.   Link Related to This Episode Celebrity Edge December Live Blog Postshttps://www.cruisehabit.com/tags/celebrity-edge-live-blog Celebrity Edge in Review Part 1 - Episode 9https://www.cruisehabit.com/podcast/celebrity-edge-review-part-1-cruis ..read more

Over the past couple years we've had the opportunity to watch a new cruise line emerge.  With details of Virgin Voyages trickling out at a pace that leaves us constantly wanting more, we thought we'd take this episode to share what we know so far about Sir Richard Branson's first dive into cruising.  We talk about who is behind the line, what the ship will be like, the things that make Virgin Voyages so different - and even tattoos.  Check out the links below for photos, renderings and more information.    Link Related to This Episode Virgin Voyages Reveals Additional Details: No passengers an ..read more

One thing every great vacation has in common is a beginning. On a cruise, that's called Embarkation Day. From when to show up at the terminal, to where to find food, but avoid crowds when everyone else is heading to the buffet, we're covering everything you need to know about your first day onboard.   Link Related to This Episode CruiseHabit.com Packing List and Artlicleshttps://www.cruisehabit.com/packing Cruise Line Transfershttps://www.cruisehabit.com/getting-and-your-cruise-cruise-line-transfers Hotel "Park and Cruise" Packageshttps://www.cruisehabit.com/hotel-park-and-cruise-packages-wha ..read more

Early in November, Carnival Cruise Line invited Ric to tour the Carnival Paradise while she was docked in her home port of Tampa, Florida. On this bonus episode, Billy interviews Ric about what he saw (and ate) on that ship tour. We close out the episode with a listener question.   Link Related to This Episode Carnival Paradise Ship Tourhttps://www.cruisehabit.com/carnival-paradise-ship-tour A Brief History of the Blue Riband - The Fastest Passenger Ships to Sail the Atlantichttps://www.cruisehabit.com/brief-history-blue-riband-fastest-passenger-ships-sail-atlantic ..read more