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Want to Go on a Cruise for Cheap? Here are 8 Ways to Check for Price Drops

Haiyan Ma
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Want to Go on a Cruise for Cheap? Here are 8 Ways to Check for Price Drops

With over 20 million people choosing to go on a cruise each year, the cruise industry is booming. While cruising is relatively affordable, many cruises charge extra for drinks and entertainment. Then, there are the costs associated with any of the locations you visit.

If you’re not careful, going on a cruise can really get expensive. Savvy passengers are always looking for a cruise price drop. Especially since the average person who goes on a cruise is over 50 and earns a median income of $109,000 and it becomes even more important to find ways to save.

With savings in mind, we’re sharing with you eight ways to check for a cruise price drop. Keep reading to learn what to look for.

1. Location Is Everything

Certain cruise lines will charge their passengers different amounts for the same class level of rooms that are just located in different locations on the ship.

Get all your cruise accessories ready for a vacation at sea.

A room on a higher deck might look the same as a room on a lower deck, but their prices might vary. That’s because it’s deemed to hold more value for passengers.

To enjoy a cruise price drop, ask to be placed automatically at the lowest room rate. You can also try getting a “cabin guarantee” which means you’ll get a cabin in at least the category specified. You also might get an upgrade.

Ship lines like Carnival tend to discount their guaranteed cabin bookings about $50 to $100 per person off their advertised fares.

2. Be Flexible With Cruise Dates

There are certain times during the year when you’ll witness a more dramatic cruise price drop. Those are usually the fall months when the kids are back at school and adults are back working after taking off time during the summer. You can also find lower rates between New Year’s and Spring Break. Most people are either hibernating during the winter or trying to pay off their holiday bills.

Related: 10 Reasons to Go on a Caribbean Cruise For Spring Break

Other times like the period between Christmas and New Year’s fetch much higher prices. In fact, the rates are often double what someone would pay during the offseason. You’ll also find higher rates around other holidays and during summer when families with children prefer to cruise.

3. Older Ships Tend To Have Cheaper Prices

While this isn’t an actual rule, it’s common to pay much less to sail on an older ship than it is to sail on a newer one. You’ll find older ships are kept up well and are comfortable. What you won’t find is extra space and a full range of amenities that the larger, newer ships offer.

However, not everyone is looking for a floating amusement park. Ships built in the past 3-5 years often feature amenities like waterslides, robot bars, ice rinks, and walking promenades.

Also Read: Pros and Cons on the Best Ways to Book a Cruise

If that’s not for you, then look for an older ship. You’ll find it’s much calmer and less expensive. And while it’s difficult to compare, a 5-day cruise aboard Oasis of the Seas – which is a new ship in Royal Caribbean’s feet is around $711.50 per person in September.

A 5-day cruise in November aboard Royal Caribbean’s Vision of the Seas – which first sailed in 1988 is $329 per person.

4. Get A Cruise Price Drop Using Social Media

If you love social media, then you’ll love this tip to find a great cruise price drop. Twitter is a great place to search for last-minute cruise bargains. Nearly every agent and agency are already out there tweeting about their latest and greatest promotional offers.

All you need to do is find and follow them – you can start with @royalcaribbean. You can also go one step further by customizing a list of deal tweeters. You can use Twitter’s list function to do that. Check out Facebook and other social media outlets as well. You might be able to join groups on social media who are dedicated to going on cruises.

5. Book In Advance

Even though you want to get a great deal, it doesn’t always mean you’re willing to cut corners. There are some ways to get a great cruise price drop without making sacrifices.

If you’re really looking to book at the same time and for the same destination as everyone else, book early. In fact, book at least a year in advance. The best spots on popular new ships will sell quickly, which pushes fares up even higher. Search for early-bird specials that offer added value like onboard credit or free upgrades.

If you’re worried about committing so far in advance or missing out on a deal you find after booking, don’t worry. Most deposits are refundable prior to your final payment.

If the price drops after you’ve booked, you can either rebook at the lower rate or even request the difference as an onboard credit. Luxury cruises are also known to list their best prices early. If you wait, their lower rates will disappear.

6. Bundle Your Vacation Package

Many cruise lines offer package deals. Those deals include airfare, hotel, and even tours as well as the usual cruise fares. Search for packages offered by the major lines. You’ll find you can save on individual costs.

7. Book In Groups

There’s a saying, “the more, the merrier.” For a vacation on a cruise line, this is not only true, but you’ll probably end up enjoying a lot of savings as well.

If you’re able to book in bulk, many cruise lines will give you free berths in return, depending on the number of passengers you bring. Most of the time, you’ll need to book at least a minimum of 10 guests to earn a free berth.

But that’s not the only perk available for groups. Some cruise lines like Crystal throw in freebies like onboard credit, free photos, and even discounts on select group excursions.

And throughout the year you’ll find that many cruise lines offer promotions that give free cruise fare for any third or fourth passenger booked into the same cabin. Don’t forget to look for deals that include extra bonuses like drink packages or prepaid gratuities.

8. Sign Up For Savings Emails

One of the easiest ways to check for a cruise price drop is to sign up for e-mails from various cruise lines. Then all you have to do is check your inbox to see what savings are available.

Most cruise lines and agencies still use e-newsletters to help them fill vacant spots on their ships. Cruise lines like Norwegian, Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, and Carnival all offer deals in e-mails with ongoing promotions.

They also send out e-mails with last-minute deals and even short sales. If you don’t want to deal with all those e-mails in your inbox you can either set up a separate account just for bargain hunters.

Make It Easy For Yourself

Time is money. If you don’t want to spend a lot of time looking for great cruise line rates, don’t worry. That’s what we’re here for. To find the latest and greatest promotions on your favorite cruise lines, click here.

Towel Animals to Look for on Your Cruise

Melissa Mayntz
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Towel Animals to Look for on Your Cruise

Towel animals are a fun cruise tradition that many passengers of all ages look forward to each evening as a new, fluffy friend appears in their cabin. But what do you know about these terrycloth visitors and how can you find your favorites?

About Towel Animals

The exact origins of cruise ship towel animals are unknown, but the tradition is often linked to Carnival Cruise Line – after all, these creative creations add a bit more fun to a Fun Ship cruise. Today, towel animals are popular on many different lines, including Disney Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean International and Holland America Line. While they aren’t as common on more reserved cruise lines, they can still make surprise appearances, particularly if there are younger cruisers in the cabin.

Get all your cruise accessories for your next cruise vacation.

Creating different animals out of bath towels, hand towels and washcloths is a fabric folding art related to napkin folding, origami and other decorative folding arts. While towel animals aren’t as elaborate as more advanced techniques, cruise ship cabin stewards have designed an impressive array of creatures from simple towels that may be folded, rolled, creased and twisted into different fun shapes.

Most stewards even add eyes and nostrils to their creations, and some may even add accessories to personalize the friends, such as sunglasses, caps, beads, rose petals or other accents.

Carnival Cruise Line even goes a bit further with its towel animals. Puppets of the most popular animals are unofficial hosts before evening shows in the main lounge, each cruise has a Towel Animal Theater puppet show for young cruisers and guests can even buy a book on Carnival’s towel folding techniques.

A popular activity on most Carnival cruises, as well as on other lines, is a towel folding demonstration class where guests can learn how to turn their own towels into fun friends, as well as see a wider variety of terrycloth creations on display.

Towel Animals You May See

There are always new and exciting towel animals appearing on different cruise ships. More easily recognizable animals are some of the most common and popular designs, including pigs, dogs, cats, frogs, elephants, gorillas and dinosaurs. More exotic creations do appear as well, including stingrays, seals, bears, snails, rabbits, turtles and anteaters.

Elephant Towel Animal
Photo By: Melissa Mayntz

While these animals are typically placed on beds during the evening turndown service, some may even be hung from vents, window frames or mirrors, and bats and monkeys both make regular dangling appearances for guests.

You can actually buy Towel Animal books from Amazon right here.

Some cabin stewards may make much larger creations from multiple towels, such as alligators or even human-like figures, or romantic options such as hearts, flowers or a sweet pair of swans or peacocks may visit couples’ cabins.

The sizes, expressions and poses of towel animals can vary, all depending on the cabin steward’s creativity and what towels they choose for each creation. Guests who hope to find their favorite towel animal can always ask their steward about a particular animal or leave a note with a polite request.

It is important to be aware, however, that cabin stewards have many other duties, and it may not always be possible to meet more exotic requests. If the day has been very busy or a difficult situation arises, some nights may not feature towel animals at all.

Cruise Towel Animal
Photo By: Melissa Mayntz

These fuzzy friends are a fun extra stewards add to guest cabins to make a cruise more enjoyable and memorable, but making towel animals is not an official part of a cabin steward’s duties.

Cruise passengers don’t have to wait for the evening turndown service or ask their steward to see their favorite towel animals, however. The towel stations near pools often have a pal or two on display, or can even make one if asked.

Also Read: What You Need to Know on Decorating Your Stateroom Door

Housekeeping carts on different cabin decks often have a friendly towel animal keeping the staff company as well. On family-friendly cruise lines, there may be a big parade or display of towel animals at some point during the cruise, often in a large lounge or near the main pool where a whole menagerie of animals will gather.

When towel animals appear in your cabin, you are welcome to keep them around throughout the cruise, but it can be helpful to the cabin steward if you gently disassemble any you don’t need to keep. Multiple towel animals can quickly take up valuable space in small cabins, and if all the animals stay put for the entire cruise, that is a lot of towels the steward will need to take care of at the end of the trip.

Instead, if the animals are disassembled after being enjoyed for the evening, the same towels can be reused for new friends the next night. If there is a towel animal you want to keep throughout your cruise, however, you can move it to a safe location on a nightstand, table or desk, adorn it with your own accessories, or leave a thank you note to let your cabin steward know you want to enjoy the friend a bit longer.

Towel animals can be a fun part of your cruise vacation, bringing a bit of whimsy to your cabin and giving you even more to smile about as you enjoy a great getaway. Which ones have you seen?

Here are cruise tips on Towel Animals to look out for on your next cruise vacation.
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10 Things About the Carnival Horizon Guy’s Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse

Emrys Thakkar
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10 Things About the Carnival Horizon Guy’s Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse

Carnival Horizon is the second Vista-class cruise ship operated by Carnival Cruise Line and there is one dining venue onboard which steals the show and it’s called Guy’s Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse | Brewhouse.

Even though the smokehouse is featured on some other Carnival cruise ships the space on Carnival Horizon is the first dedicated venue which also features a brewhouse with exclusively brewed ales just for the ship.

We’ll go into more details further below and all the things about Carnival Horizon’s BBQ venue which is in partnership with Guy Fieri.

1. Smokehouse Favorites

One of the main aspects of Guy’s new smokehouse is the food! The BBQ-inspired dishes have been put together by Food Network chef Guy Fieri who is also well known on Carnival ships for the popular Guy’s Burger Joint.

The restaurant includes the main BBQ favorites including brisket custom-smoked for 12 hours, Memphis-style baby back ribs, dry-rubbed and grill-finished chicken, pulled pork, and cedar-smoked salmon with an apricot glaze.

The tasty favorites are of course all cooked low and slow. Guy’s very own rubs and spice are also added to add that extra special signature taste. All of this is served with coleslaw, sweet pickles, and golden honey cornbread or Texas toast.

2. Guy’s Signature Dishes

That’s not all! Diners can enjoy the smokehouse signature dishes including Dragon Chili Cheese Fries featuring smoked beef brisket, cheddar cheese, onions, and jalapenos; Trash Can Nachos topped with pulled pork; Bourbon Brown Sugar BBQ sauce, and melted cheese; The Smokehouse Melt, with pulled pork, sliced brisket, double smoked pork belly bacon, two slices of cheddar cheese, homemade pickles and donkey sauce.

Guy’s Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse | Brewhouse Menu

3. Exclusive Sources

To complete Guy’s BBQ food are the choice of different sources and side dishes. There are several sources to get the taste buds going and even some Carnival Exclusives including Smokey Chipotle, Gold Coast Yellow Mustard, Black Pepper, and Burning Tomato.

4. BBQ Side Dishes

The side dishes have also been created by Guy Fieri and they are Longhorn Cheddar Mac & Cheese, Beer-Braised Cowboy Pinto Beans, Sweet Potato Bourbon Mash, Mashed Potatoes with Red Eye Gravy and Burnt Ends, and Buttermilk Broccoli Salad with Bacon and Almonds.

Carnival Horizon Guy’s Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse|Brewhouse
Rendering By: Carnival Cruise Line

5. Brewery

Just like sister ship Carnival Vista, Carnival Horizon has its very won brewery located inside Guy’s Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse | Brewhouse. This where the head Carnival brew master Colin Presby puts together those exclusive beers and guests can even see what’s going on through the windows as they get stuck into one of Guy’s signature dishes.

6. Craft Beers

So let’s take a more detailed look at those beers which are only available on the Carnival Horizon and first announced in January 2018. The four beers have been specifically created onboard to compliment the BBQ dishes.

Guy’s Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse | Brewhouse

ParchedPig Smoked Porter

Brewed with in-house smoked malt, this robust, full-bodied beer offers big and bold flavors and notes of molasses and hickory smoke, providing the perfect complement to Smokehouse|Brewhouse’s BBQ favorites

ParchedPig Farmhouse Ale

This lightly hopped beer is distinguished by its blond color, fruity and complex character with mild spice notes that balance the brew’s dry finish

ParchedPig Toasted Amber Ale

Highlighted by its rich amber color and notes of toasted caramel and biscuit, this beer is well balanced, smooth and highly drinkable

ParchedPig West Coast IPA

The embodiment of a traditional West Coast India Pale Ale, this hoppy, intense beer is loaded with bitterness with a bright flavor profile and distinctive aroma of citrus and pine

7. The Bar

The is a nice long bar near the entrance of the specialty restaurant where guests can relax and not just enjoy the craft beers. The bar has it all including cocktails, bottled beer and a wide selection of whiskeys.

A major highlight is the venues Hig Sampler as seen in the image further above. Guests can try all four of the specially brewed Carnival Horizon craft beers. It only costs $.75 to try them all! Of course, a regular sized beer can be ordered too along with an exclusive “Stay Cold Growler” costing $48.95.

8. Free Menu for Lunch

On embarkation day and sea days on Carnival Horizon Guy’s Pig & Anchor, there will be a free lunch menu available. This will be a good way for guests to try out the venue before going all in on one of the evenings on a la carte basis.

It will be a buffet service starting from noon until 2 PM. This could change in the future so do check first when you get on the ship.

Also Read: 10 Reasons to Buy Carnival’s Faster to the Fun Package (FTTF)

9. Live Music

Just imagine enjoying smoked food, refreshing craft beer, a view of the brewery all with live music too! When the barbeque restaurant is open there will be a live band playing music into the night. Expect some great all American tunes to delight diners.

Guy’s Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse | Brewhouse

10. Inspired Decor

This is the first full BBQ restaurant in the fleet and the venues feature the type of style you would think of when eating this type food. There is a very rustic feeling with lots of brows and grays.

There are red broked walls and wooden floor with a seating area inside and outside on the deck. There is a seating capacity of 138 and it is located on the ships Promenade deck.

Guy’s Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse | Brewhouse is Where You Should Be!

If you ever do take a cruise on Carnival Horizon then this is a must visit dining venues onboard. It is the first in the fleet and opens full from 5 PM every evening staying open until late at night.

If you're taking a cruise vacation on Carnival Horizon then here are cruise tips for the popular Guy's Pig and Anchor Smokehouse Brewhouse.

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15 Most Annoying Things People Do on Cruises

Melissa Mayntz
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15 Most Annoying Things People Do on Cruises

A cruise is a fun, relaxing getaway, but with ships getting bigger and bigger and carrying more and more passengers – the world’s largest cruise ships can carry more than 6,500 passengers on a single sailing – it is inevitable that not everyone will get along. With so many people sharing the same facilities for a few fun-filled days, it is no surprise that some annoying behaviors will emerge.

Once you realize how annoying these things can be to your fellow passengers, however, you can be sure not to do them, and you will know how not to let annoying behaviors ruin your vacation.

The Most Annoying Things People Do on a Cruise Ship

Everyone has different pet peeves, but these behaviors are fairly universally annoying to most cruise ship passengers.

1. Saving Seats

Whether it is staking out a lounge chair by the pool, reserving a block of seats in the main show lounge, holding chairs at the comedy club, or taking up extra space at the lido restaurant, no one is happy to see one person saving many seats in popular seating areas, especially at busy times.

While everyone understands briefly holding chairs while someone may go get a drink or pick up their meal, it is rude and annoying to save seats for extended periods, especially if there is no one actually there and instead there are just towels, pieces of fruit, or other tokens to stake out the territory.

Avoid being this person by keeping your party together when you need seats, and sending only 1-2 people at a time away from the seating so there is no confusion about how many seats you need.

2. Children Out of Control

A cruise can be a great family vacation, and there are plenty of activities to keep younger cruisers engaged and out of trouble. Those activities do end, however, and there are times when parents need to more closely supervise their children. Kids running down hallways, turning hot tubs into impromptu water fights, pushing all the elevator buttons, or having “sword” fights on the miniature golf course quickly irritate and annoy other passengers.

Parents should be aware of where their children are at all times, and recognize that while it is important to relax and have fun on vacation, there should still be rules and consequences if children misbehave.

Carnival Liberty
Video Footage By: KPRC 2

3. Overusing the Elevator

There are plenty of stairs on a cruise ship, and after a busy day, big meal, or late night, it may seem easier just to push the button and take the elevator all the time. When you’re only going one deck up or down, however, it can be annoying for other passengers who are using the elevator to cross several decks.

Of course no one should get annoyed when there may be mobility issues or other concerns that necessitate elevator use, but if you can go up and down just a single deck, it is better to use the stairs, and will burn off some of those rich cruise food calories besides.

4. Cutting in Line

From buffets to bingo card sales to waterslides to tender boats, there are many different lines you may wait in during your cruise. Nothing can be more annoying that thinking you’re nearly done waiting, only to have extra people cut ahead of you where just one or two members of their party have been holding places – or even just cutting in line without anyone having saved places at all.

If someone forgets something in the stateroom or needs to leave the line, it is better to let other people pass ahead until the missing person returns.

Here’s another article on dealing with long lines on a cruise ship.

5. Breaking the Rules – or the Law

A vacation may be the perfect time to cut loose, but it is always annoying when a cruise passenger knowingly breaks the ship’s restrictions or even local laws. This might be trying to smuggle contraband onto the ship, which will slow down the security line for everyone, or it could be smoking on balconies, which is prohibited for safety reasons, or it might even be underage cruisers trying to get alcoholic drinks from law-abiding passengers.

These violations can be severely punished and may even cut a lawbreaker’s cruise short if they are put off the ship before the cruise ends.

6. Overindulging

Cutting loose doesn’t have to mean breaking the law, but even legal overindulgence can annoy other cruisers. Anyone who is severely drunk, obsessively gambling, or otherwise overindulging to the point where they disrupt others or cause a scene can put a damper on other passengers’ vacations.

These out-of-control behaviors can also lead to other consequences, including fines, confinement to the stateroom, or even being removed from the ship if passengers get belligerent or violent.

Lido Dining Food
Photo By: Russell Otway

7. Excessive Noise

Part of a great vacation is a chance to sleep in, take a nap, or otherwise relax in a quiet, peaceful atmosphere, but passengers who are too loud will annoy everyone with their antics. It might be slamming doors, talking loud in narrow hallways, televisions or music turned up loudly, or yelling and carrying on at shows or by the pool, but it is never enjoyable for everyone else.

Related: Sleep Like a Baby During Your Cruise Vacation!

This is especially true on stateroom decks or in areas designated as quieter spaces, such as an adults-only retreat, the ship’s spa, or the library or chapel. Using an inside voice and respecting others’ desire for peaceful quiet is essential to be sure you aren’t the annoying noisemaker on board.

8. Disrespectful Attitudes

No one likes to be disrespected or bear the brunt of rude behavior, and it is also annoying to see that behavior inflicted on others. Anyone who is blatantly being rude or disrespectful to crew members, other passengers, or even tour operators or retailers in ports of call gives all cruise passengers a bad reputation.

It is always best to be courteous and respectful of other cultures, countries, and beliefs, and a cruise ship should be a wonderful opportunity to meet people from many places and learn about those differences rather than be annoying.

9. Filming a Documentary

Photos and videos are a great way to capture all the memorable moments of your cruise, but if you believe every single second of your getaway is worthy of recording, you will be one of those annoying passengers who can’t put the camera down.

Selfie sticks, constantly stopping for a new pose, and always getting in the way of others for your photos is very irritating behavior, and we should all be realistic – are you going to look at hundreds of photos or hours of video after your vacation ends?

Certainly, you want to take some great photos to share with friends and family members, but make sure you take time to put the camera away and just enjoy being on your cruise.

Carnival Cruise Pictures
Photo By: Russell Otway

10. Hogging Equipment

While they may be filled with state-of-the-art features, cruise ships still have limited facilities and it can be annoying when a passenger monopolizes equipment.

This can be a common problem in the gym or fitness center, when there are only a few specific cardio machines yet one passenger may decide to spend an hour or more on the treadmill or elliptical while other passengers wait to use it.

Other areas that might have annoying usage hogs include casino games, games of chance, arcade games, hot tubs, hammocks, or the miniature golf course. To decrease the frustration, it is best if passengers – while feeling free to use whatever equipment they like – are mindful of others and limit their use of the most popular items so everyone can share.

11. Staying in the Spotlight

There are many chances to shine on a cruise ship, from winning trivia contests or deck games to volunteering to go on stage at a show, joining in a dance contest, or otherwise getting involved, and in fact getting involved can make your cruise even more memorable.

It is memorable to other passengers for all the wrong reasons, however, when one person constantly strives to be a star and get special attention. Whether that passenger is an enthusiastic adult or an attention-craving child, it is still annoying and once a person has had their shining moment, they should let others have theirs.

12. Being Late

Cruise ships can have very structured schedules, particularly when the day is crowded with different activities both on board and on shore. When one passenger is late, it can annoy everyone else waiting for the same event, whether that means starting a trivia contest over or delaying dining service to accommodate the latecomer.

Even if the activity is not delayed, such as an evening show, a late arrival will irritate other passengers when they are talking, moving in front of seated guests, or otherwise disrupting the event because they weren’t courteous enough to be on time.

13. Complaining, Complaining, Complaining

When something is upsetting, it can be helpful to talk it over with another person. When a passenger is constantly complaining about different issues, however, they might be annoying others enough to lodge their own complaints.

This is particularly true if the complaints are about relatively minor annoyances, such as long lines or crowded elevators, or things that are out of anyone’s control, such as poor weather. When something is a legitimate grievance, registering a complaint with the proper officials can be useful, but otherwise, nagging complaints should be kept to a minimum.

14. Excessive PDA

There’s no place better to celebrate love than on a cruise ship, whether it is for an onboard wedding, honeymoon, or just a romantic getaway with someone special. That romance shouldn’t spill over into everyone else’s vacation, however, especially when affectionate touching, kisses, and other behaviors might not always be seen as appropriate for public settings.

While friendly romance is certainly fine, if those gestures are better left for private areas, couples should retire to their cabins rather than annoy other passengers with too much physical friendliness.

15. Loyalty Bragging

It can be great to earn rewards by being a loyal cruiser to one cruise line, but it isn’t so great to brag about those rewards and demand special service with every voyage.

Past passengers should understand the benefits they’ve earned, but also understand that those benefits do not entitle them to behave rudely or otherwise annoy fellow passengers or abuse crew members with unreasonable requests.

If You Are Annoyed

Whether it is your first cruise or your fiftieth, you’re sure to encounter some annoying behaviors. The best way to handle that annoyance without overshadowing an otherwise fun vacation is to stay calm and polite at all times, walking away, or avoiding situations that are irritating.

Also Read: Top 6 Videos Of Cruise Passengers Missing The Ship

While it may occasionally be necessary to seek help to resolve an annoying situation, such as calling security to handle extreme noise or asking servers not to delay dinner service for a perpetually late passenger, it is always best to remember the point of your cruise vacation – to relax, have fun, and enjoy yourself, not to worry about the behaviors of other passengers, and certainly not to let others ruin your cruise.

Carnival Horizon is Most Anticipated New Cruise Ship for 2018

Emrys Thakkar
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0
Carnival Horizon is Most Anticipated New Cruise Ship for 2018

Carnival Horizon has been voted as the “Most Anticipated New Cruise Ship for 2018” in the 2017 Cruise Ship Awards.

Here comes the final result: Carnival Horizon, which is the second Vista-Class cruise ship for Carnival Cruise Line, has received more votes than any other new 2018 cruise ship in its category. Carnival Horizon won the group by a huge amount of votes by Cruise Hive readers in the 2017 Cruise Ship Awards.

Carnival Horizon is currently under construction by Fincantieri in Italy and will be completed in Spring 2018, with its maiden voyage departing Barcelona, Spain, on April 2.

The sister ship to Carnival Vista will sail a series of cruises in Europe before sailing a transatlantic voyage to New York. During the summer, the new Carnival cruise ship will offer cruises to the Caribbean and Bermuda. Finally, in September, the ship will begin its year-round service from PortMiami, Florida.

The ship is now in the final stages of construction and once complete will be 133,500 gross tons and carrying almost 4,000 passengers at double occupancy.

Carnival Horizon Sea Trials
Photo By: Carnival Cruise LIne

Most Anticipated New Cruise Ship for 2018 Results

In the 2017 Cruise Ship Awards, this is the final category we’re announcing it is the biggest with the most amount of votes. Carnival Horizon was up against four other major cruise ships from different cruise lines, which are arriving in 2018.

The 2nd place went to Celebrity Edge, a totally new generation of cruise ship currently being built for Celebrity Cruises. This vessel has some innovative features, including the Magic Carpet, which may have helped the vessel get to second place. The new class ship will debut in December 2018 with Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The ship will be 117,000 gross tons and be able to carry 2,900 guests. Celebrity Edge is under construction at the STX France shipyard.

In 3rd place came Symphony of the Seas, which will join the Royal Caribbean fleet in March 2018. When this fourth Oasis-class ship enters service, it will become the world’s biggest cruise ship, taking over the crown from sister ship Harmony of the Seas. We were surprised that this ship didn’t win the “Most Anticipated New Cruise Ship for 2018” category due to the much attention it received in the cruise industry. The 230,000 gross ton Royal Caribbean ship will sail its inaugural season in Europe and will then be based out of Miami, Florida, starting in November 2018.

In 4th place for our reader awards came Norwegian Bliss, which is currently under construction by Meyer Werft in Germany. This ship will be operated by Norwegian Cruise Line and join the fleet in April 2018, and will eventually be based in Seattle, Washington, for cruises in Alaska starting in June 2018. Norwegian Bliss will be the third Breakaway Plus class vessel at 167,800 gross tons and will carry 4,000 passengers.

In the final position with the least amount of votes was MSC Seaview, the sister ship to MSC Seaside which just recently started cruises from Miami, Florida. MSC Seaview is under construction by Fincantieri in Italy and will debut in June 2018. The vessel will spend its inaugural year in Europe and then sail cruises in South America. MSc Seaview will be 154,000 gross tons and be able to carry over 4,000 guests.

Cruise Ship Awards

The “most Anticipated New Cruise Ship for 2018” category was the most popular in the 2017 Cruise Ship Awards. Thousands of Cruise Hive readers voted and chose Carnival Horizon. Readers were only able to vote once since the 4th annual awards started in September 2017. Any repeat votes from the same IP were not counted, and all final positions were double-checked.

More From Cruise Hive

We have now announced all the winners in all categories, which can be read at our dedicated Cruise Ship Awards page. We must say a big thank you to everyone who took the time to vote in our very cruise ship-focused awards. Congratulations to Carnival Horizon and all the other winners in the 2017 awards. We’ll see you once again when we open the Cruise Ship Awards once again for the 5th time later in 2018.

Spectrum of the Seas is Most Anticipated Future Cruise Ship

Emrys Thakkar
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Spectrum of the Seas is Most Anticipated Future Cruise Ship

There is still a bit of a wait but readers have already decided on their “Most Anticipated Future Cruise Ship” in this year’s Cruise Ship Awards.

Spectrum of the Seas is a future cruise ship that is currently under construction for Royal Caribbean at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany. Cruise Hive readers voted the ship as the “Most Anticipated Future Cruise Ship in the 2017 Cruise Ship Awards.

The future Royal Caribbean vessel will be the first Quantum Ultra class ship, an evolution of the current Quantum-class ships. The ship will have a similar design but be larger than Quantum of the Seas, Anthem of the Seas, and Ovation of the Seas. Spectrum of the Seas will be 168,800 gross tons and be able to carry 4,200 passengers at double occupancy. The future ship will arrive in 2019 and there is even a second sister ship on order for 2020.

Most Anticipated Future Cruise Ship Results

In 2nd place in this year’s Cruise Ship Awards came Norwegian Bliss, a Breakaway Plus-class vessel for Norwegian Cruise Line which will arrive in 2018. Norwegian Bliss will be 167,800 gross tons and be able to carry over 4,000 guests at double occupancy.

In 3rd place with a fair amount of votes came the first ever Virgin Voyages cruise ship, which is being built by Fincantieri in Genoa, Italy. This adults-only vessel is set to be unique and offer a new style of cruising. The ship will sail from Miami, Florida and will be 110,000 gross tons carrying 2,800 guests. The future Virgin Voyages ship will arrive in 2020.

In 4th place came the future World Class ship for MSC Cruises. The ship is still far away from arriving in 2022, but we do know it will be powered by Liquid Natural Gas (LNG), built by STX France, and be 200,000 gross tons. You can read more details about the original announcement by MSC in May 2017.

In 5th place came Aidanova for German-based Aida Cruises. This will be the largest ever cruise ship to be built for the Carnival-owned cruise line and there are more on the way for other cruise brands too. Aidanova will be completed in December 2018 at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany. The future vessel will be 180,000 gross tons and be able to carry 6,600 passengers, more than any other ship in the industry.

At the bottom of the results, with the lowest number of votes, came the future global class ship for Asian-based Star Cruises. Not much has yet been revealed from the cruise line, but we do know the first ship will be 201,000 gross tons and be able to carry around 5,000 passengers. The is set to be delivered in 2019.

Cruise Ship Awards

It’s the first time we’ve done this category for the 2017 Cruise Ship Awards. We aim to focus on the cruise ships in our awards to make them different from most. Voting has been open since September 2017 and thousands of cast a vote. Readers were only able to vote once and any repeats were not counted.

Congratulations to Royal Caribbean Spectrum of the Seas, and we look forward to finding out more about the ship, which the cruise line will release over time the closer it gets to being completed.

Norwegian Joy and MSC Seaside Draw for “Best New Cruise Ship” of 2017

Emrys Thakkar
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Norwegian Joy and MSC Seaside Draw for “Best New Cruise Ship” of 2017

For the first time ever we have a draw between Norwegian Joy and MSC Seaside for “Best New Cruise Ship” in this year’s Cruise Ship Awards.

We really didn’t expect this but two cruise ships have received the same amount of votes in this year’s Cruise Ship Awards. Norwegian Joy and MSC Seaside can both take home the crown for “Best New Cruise Ship” of 2017.

Norwegian Joy is the second Breakaway-Plus class vessel from Norwegian Cruise Line and has been purpose-built for the Chinese market. The ship which is now based out of China was delivered by the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany in April 2017. The NCL ship is 167,400 gross tons and can carry over 4,200 passengers at double occupancy.

Norwegian Joy has also won “Best Cruise Ship Hull Artwork” for 2017, read all about it here.

MSC Seaside is not long been in service and was just recently christened in PortMiami. This is the first ship in its class and built by Fincantieri in Italy. The ship is part of the cruise lines expansion plans in North America and is offering Caribbean cruises year-round from Miami, Florida. MSC Seaside is 153,500 gross tons and can carry over 4,100 guests at double occupancy.

Best New Cruise Ship Results

With the draw of Norwegian Joy and MSC Seaside for “Best New Cruise Ship” of the year, it leaves just four other news cruise ships within the category. In 2nd place came Majestic Princess which is another vessel purpose-built for the Chinese market. The Princess cruise ship is 143,700 gross tons and began cruises in Spring 2017.

3rd place went to MSC Meraviglia, the biggest news cruise ship to arrive in 2017 and the largest so far for the cruise line. MSC Meraviglia is the first in its class and was built by STX France. The new ship started sailing in Spring and is 167,600 gross tons carrying 4,500 guests.

4th place in the awards went to Viking Sky, a smaller vessel than the others and luxury at its very best. Viking Sky is the third ocean cruise ship for Viking Cruises, and it has 47,800 gross tons and entered service in the summer.

In the final position with the lowest amount of votes from Cruise Hive readers is World Dream, a new cruise ship that arrived for Dream Cruises Asia. The ship was built by Meyer Werft in Germany and is 151,100 gross tons and arrived in the fall.

Cruise Ship Awards

This year’s Cruise Ship Awards received thousands of votes and more than previous years in the annual awards which Cruise hive readers can vote in. We had really double check this category due to the draw and we made sure there were no double votes from the same IP.

We must congratulate Norwegian joy and MSC Seaside for “Best New Cruise Ship” of 2017 where for the first time ever on Cruise Hive it was a draw!

Guys Burger Joint on Carnival Cruise Line Beats Rivals

Emrys Thakkar
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Guys Burger Joint on Carnival Cruise Line Beats Rivals

The popular venue Guys Burger Joint on Carnival Cruise Line has been voted as “Best Cruise Ship Burger Venue” for 2017.

Once again Guys Burger Joint venue, which can be found on Carnival cruise ships has been voted as the “Best Cruise Ship Burger Venue” in this year’s Cruise Ship Awards. Guys also won this category in 2016 so the burgers there must be so good! The Carnival burger venue didn’t just win but almost wiped the competition out with the second place far behind.

Guys Burger Joint first appeared on Carnival Liberty in 2011 as part of the ship FUN 2.0 upgrades. Since then these upgrades have been rolling out across the fleet to add more choice and options to cruisers. Guys Burger Joint offers free grilled burgers and hand cut fries near the main pool and guests can even add their own toppings and sources. The venue is in partnership with Food Network star Guy Fieri.

Best Cruise Ship Burger Venue Results

Guys Burger Joint dominated this category and burger venues on other cruise lines didn’t even come close! In 2nd place came Johnny Rockets on Royal Caribbean a tradition burger venue which has been a popular choice throughout the fleet.

In 3rd came O’Sheehans Bar & Grill found on Norwegian Cruise Line and 4th came Margaritaville at Sea which is only on some of the newest NCL cruise ships. and it isn’t included int he cruise price. The Dive in Terrace on Holland America Line came in 5th place, The Salty Dog Gastro Pub found on Princess Cruises came in 6th and finally in 7th place came Bistro On Five onboard Celebrity Cruises.

Cruise Ship Awards

We received thousands of votes by Cruise Hive readers since the 2017 Cruise Ship Awards opened up in September. Readers were only able to vote once and any repeat votes were not counted. We went through checking to make the votes were correct not just for this category but all of them in this year’s awards.

We must congratulate Carnival Cruise Line for Guys Burger Joint winning “Best Cruise Ship Burger Venue” and let’s see if they can keep the trend going in 2018. We’ve already announced Carnival Cruise Line has won “Best Cruise Ship Refurbishment” with the Carnival Dream and “Best Cruise Ship Feature” with Carnival Vista’s SkyRide, there could be even more winners to come.

Harmony of the Seas is “Best Large Cruise Ship” of 2017

Emrys Thakkar
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Harmony of the Seas is “Best Large Cruise Ship” of 2017

Royal Caribbeans Harmony of the Seas won the “Best Large Cruise Ship” of 2017 and got more votes than other large vessels in the industry.

Harmony of the Seas is operated by Royal Caribbean, and the ship has just won “Best Large Cruise Ship” in the 2017 Cruise Ship Awards. Cruise Hive readers have been voting since September, and they have chosen the third Oasis-class ship, which is also currently the world’s largest cruise ship.

The Royal Caribbean cruise ship didn’t win by much, Carnival Vista, which is the largest ship from Carnival Cruise Line, was just a few votes away but ran out of time! Harmony of the Seas joined the Royal Caribbean fleet in Spring 2016 and is an impressive 226,960 and can carry over 5,400 passengers at double occupancy.

As expected, with a cruise ship this size it has all the features to keep any type of cruiser busy during the entire voyage. One highlight is the Ultimate Abyss, which is an industry first and came second in this year’s “Best Cruise Ship Feature” on Cruise Hive.

Best Large Cruise Ship Results

Harmony of the Seas had some tough competition in the “Best Large Cruise Ship” category. The ship was up against other large vessels from Carnival Cruise Line, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line and Cunard Line. We tried to keep it fair by not more than one ship from the same cruise line.

Harmony of the Seas At Sea
Photo By: Royal Caribbean

In close 2nd place came Carnival Vista, the newest Carnival ship, which joined the fleet in the Spring of 2016. The ship is 133,500 gross tons and introduced the first ever SkyRide and IMAX Theater at sea. The SkyRide feature also just won “Best Cruise Ship Feature” of 2017. The Carnival cruise ship has a passenger capacity of over 3,900 at double occupancy.

In 3rd place came Norwegian Escape which is operated by Norwegian Cruise Line and joined the fleet in 2015 as the first Breakaway-Plus class ship. The NCl vessel is a popular choice for cruisers out of PortMiami.

In 4th position came one of the most iconic cruise vessels in the world, Queen Mary 2. This ship, which is operated by Cunard Line, has long been a favorite of cruisers all over the world. When the ship first began sailing in 2003 it was the largest cruise ship in the world at 150,000 gross tons but now it is the 10th biggest!

In the last and final 5th place in the 2017 Cruise Ship Awards was MSC Meraviglia which only began service in 2017 and is the largest ever MSC cruise ship so far at 167,600 gross tons and carrying over 4,400 passengers at double occupancy. More even larger cruise ships from MSC are on order.

Just remember a large cruise ship doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best. We often find some amazing smaller vessels which offer more port options and a highly rated service.

Cruise Ship Awards

With thousands of votes from Cruise Hive readers, we must say thank you to you all for taking the time to vote. This is the 4th Annual Cruise Ship Awards and since September voting had been open. We’ve taken away multiple votes from the same IP and checked to make sure voting is accurate.

Congratulations to Royal Caribbeans Harmony of the Seas cruise ship for winning “Best Large Cruise Ship” and we hope cruisers continue to enjoy the ship even if sister ship Symphony of the Seas will be slightly larger when she arrives in March 2018.

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