The cruise questions nobody answers properly.
Clear, specific notes for Canadian and US cruisers: cabins, money, documents and what actually happens on board.
Latest notes
- Destinations
Flying Toronto to Miami for Your Cruise: A PlannerPearson to PortMiami step by step: nonstop flight times, real fares, the MIA transfer, where to sleep the night before, and the Fort Lauderdale question.
- On board
Mailing Postcards From a Cruise: Stamps, Ports, TimingNo postbox at sea. How cruise mail really works, which country's stamp you need, where to post in Alaska and the Caribbean, and why cards arrive after you do.
- On board
Sail-Away on a Cruise: What It Is and Where to WatchThe deck party as the ship leaves port: when it starts, what is free, the best rail in Vancouver, Seattle, Miami, Galveston and New York, and how to skip.
- Money & booking
Booking a Cruise in Canadian Dollars: When It Pays OffCAD cruise fares use the line's own exchange rate. How to tell if CAD or USD is cheaper for your booking, and how to stop losing 3–5% on board.
- Cabins
Noisy Cruise Cabin: How to Get It Fixed or MovedScraping chairs at dawn, bass from the lounge, a rattling vent: who to tell, what to say, when a cabin change is realistic and what compensation is normal.
- Planning & documents
Eating Together on a Cruise With 15, 20 or 30 PeopleHow ships seat big groups: true table sizes, linked tables, fixed vs flexible dining, private rooms, costs and a booking timeline that keeps you together.
- Destinations
How Many Excursions Is Too Many on a Week's Cruise?Two or three tours on a 7-night cruise beat one at every port. The budget, the energy curve, a port-by-port rule for Alaska and Caribbean, and how to pick.
- Planning & documents
ESTA for Canadians Cruising From the US? Here's the AnswerCanadian citizens need no ESTA or US visa to cruise from Miami, Seattle or Galveston, only a passport. The permanent resident, NEXUS and kids exceptions.