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Alan Titchmarsh summarises it perfectly

If you only ever read one article on cruising, this should be it.  Alan very neatly summarises the good points, the pitfalls and the perils of other passengers.  This Telegraph article is an excellent precis of cruising and sums the whole thing up nicely. I’m not sure I could have said it better myself (or as succinctly!), so read and enjoy by clicking here.

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Secrets the Cruise Lines Don’t Tell You

Secrets the Cruise Lines Don’t Tell You

I know it’s lazy to simply add another link to a Cruise Critic article, but this one is rather long and very detailed, but it really is a must-read.

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12 Surefire ways to have a Miserable Cruise

12 Surefire ways to have a Miserable Cruise

Another piece pinched from the Cruise Critic website. They have an interesting way of looking at things!

Particularly interesting comment beneath about a family being thrown off a ship for not washing their hands.

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Cruise Critic publishes a benefits comparison guide

In case you do not choose your cruise by destination, ship, company or price, Cruise Critic have produced a table comparing the loyalty benefits you can acquire from sailing with different companies.

Here is the link: http://www.cruisecritic.com/blog/index.php/2013/08/19/cruise-line-loyalty-with-chart-break-down/

If you would like more detailed information, please visit their article which takes an in-depth look at what each loyalty scheme offers.

http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=73

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Stranded in Ketchikan – life just isn’t fair

The Celebrity Millennium has engine troubles and is stranded in Ketchikan, Alaska.  I can think of worse places to be stranded. Ketchikan is a beautiful little town.

http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/news/news.cfm?ID=5493

Am really quite jealous.  Mind you, Juneau I would not want to miss.

Which port would you most like to be stranded in? 

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What not to pack

As not all cruisers go Southampton – Southampton, these tips will apply to any fly cruisers, as much as for any holiday.

Copied from Independent Traveller.com

http://www.independenttraveler.com/travel-tips/packing-and-accessories/what-not-to-pack

My personal advice comes from someone wise, whose name I forget.  It is as follows:

Lay out everything on the bed. Everything. Bottles, clothes, gadgets, money, everything you intend to take.

Then take out half the clothes and put in twice the money.

Job done.

And a last word of wisdom from Dave Gorman: it is always cheaper to buy socks at the other end than to pay extra for having packed them.