10 things I wish I'd done differently on my first cruise, from booking a better room to avoiding specialty restaurants

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel
The author stares at food in a restaurant (L) an arrow pointing out the window of the stateroom
Business Insider's reporter took her first cruise on board Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

These are the 10 dirtiest cruise ships, according to the CDC — including an ultra-luxury vessel

Tech Insider : Travel
Hanseatic Inspiration at sea
The CDC randomly inspects cruise ships to prevent the spread of stomach viruses. So far, in 2024, two ships have failed to receive a passing score.

Jens Büttner/picture alliance via Getty Images

We sailed on an older Norwegian ship and a newer one. The big changes show how the cruise line is evolving to compete with Royal Caribbean and Carnival.

Tech Insider : Travel
Norwegian Breakaway vs Norwegian Prima.
Two Business Insider reporters compare Norwegian Breakaway and Norwegian Prima.

Norwegian Cruise Line

Almost every Carnival cruise ship will sail to its upcoming private resort soon — see what it'll be like in Celebration Key

Tech Insider : Travel
rendering of pool next to beach
Most of Carnival Cruise Line's ships would sail to Celebration Key, the company's private resort-like port set to debut in July 2025, as shown in a render.

Carnival Cruise Line

We sailed in an interior cabin on Carnival and an ocean-view room on Royal Caribbean. We'd only book one again.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel
Side by side photos of Royal Caribbean (L) and Carnival (R) room selfies
Joey (L) and Monica (L) in their rooms.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider, Monica Humphries/Business Insider

I've sailed with every Royal Caribbean cruise line — here's how to pick the best one for you

Tech Insider : Travel
composite of Celebrity Cruises' Celebrity Beyond, Royal Caribbean International's Icon of the Seas, and Silversea's Silver Cloud, all on water
Royal Caribbean Group oversees three brands — Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, and Silversea — that all target different cruisers.

Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, Wayleebird/Shutterstock

Royal Caribbean's latest mega-ship has set sail with new restaurants and amenities that were missing from its predecessor

Tech Insider : Travel
Utopia of the Seas on water
Royal Caribbean launched its sixth Oasis Class cruise ship, Utopia of the Seas, on Friday — just six months after Icon of the Seas' inaugural sailing.

Royal Caribbean International

I packed for a weeklong cruise with just a carry-on and a backpack. Here are 10 items I'm glad I brought and 9 things I wish I had with me.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel
The author packed for a weeklong cruise onboard Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas, the largest cruise ship in the world.
The author packed for a weeklong cruise on board Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

Carnival is taking on Royal Caribbean with its own $600 million private resort — see Celebration Key's planned features

Tech Insider : Travel
rendering of Celebration Key with cabanas, pools, buildings
Carnival says its private Celebration Key destination will have a family-friendly section with amenities like two waterslides, a water playground, and rentable cabanas.

Carnival Cruise Line

Royal Caribbean and Norwegian have serious sustainable-food-supply-chain goals — here's how they compare

Tech Insider
cook preparing food on trays on Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas
Royal Caribbean's new Icon of the Seas cruise ship can accommodate 9,950 people. Feeding everyone is no easy feat.

Brittany Chang/Business Insider

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