Cruise News and Official Sources
What is changing, and what actually applies to your cruise.
Get Free Cruise QuotesNews sites tell you what is changing; official sources tell you what actually applies. Here are the cruise news sites and official records worth bookmarking.
Cruise News Sites
| Site | Focus |
|---|---|
| Cruise Industry News | Industry and business news: new ships, deployments, company announcements |
| Seatrade Cruise News | Trade news from the organizers of the Seatrade cruise events |
| Cruise Hive | Consumer-focused cruise news and ship updates |
| Cruise Radio | News, reviews and podcasts for cruisers |
| iCruise News (our site) | What news means for people who are already booked |
| World Cruise News (our site) | World cruises and grand voyages |
Official Sources Every Cruiser Should Know
Cruise line websites
Fleet pages, deck plans, policies and FAQs, for example Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian, Princess, Celebrity and Holland America.
Health inspections
The CDC Vessel Sanitation Program publishes ship inspection scores.
Consumer protection
The Federal Maritime Commission oversees passenger vessel operators’ financial responsibility for U.S. departures.
Travel advisories
The U.S. State Department travel advisories for every country on your itinerary.
Deck Plans and Ship Data
Cruise lines publish deck plans for each ship on their own sites. Independent sites such as CruiseDeckPlans and CruiseMapper gather deck plans, cabin photos and ship details in one place, which helps when comparing ships across lines. Our sister site Cruise Ship Deck Plans explains how to use them to choose a cabin.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I see a ship’s health inspection score?
The CDC Vessel Sanitation Program publishes inspection scores for cruise ships that call at U.S. ports. Search by ship name on its site.
Which is the best source for cruise rules?
The cruise line’s own website and your booking terms. News sites and blogs are useful for spotting changes, but the line’s published policy is what applies to your cruise.
Following Cruise News Without the Noise
Cruise news moves fast and headlines can sound more alarming than the facts. Before changing plans because of a story, find the original source: the cruise line’s press release or customer notice, a port’s announcement, or a government agency’s statement. Many stories are about one ship or one sailing; others describe changes that start a year or more from now.
- Check whether the change applies to your line, ship and sailing date.
- Look for the effective date; existing bookings are often handled differently.
- If you are booked, watch for an email from the line or your advisor, who should tell you about changes that affect you.
- Be wary of shared screenshots and social posts with no link to a source.
For a steady flow of sales and news chosen for travelers rather than the trade, our Mister Cruise Special Offers newsletter sends the highlights by email, and Wave Season gathers the year’s biggest cruise promotions in one place.
Interested in the cruise business itself? Be a Travel Agent explains how people start selling cruises, and the Official Travel Directory and Best of the USA cover travel beyond cruising.
Checked the Facts? Get a Quote
Our cruise advisors at Mister Cruise will confirm the details for your ship and sailing and send a free quote.
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