Luxury Cruising Editorial

A magnitude 8.7 earthquake originating off the coast of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula triggered a widespread tsunami warning across the Pacific, impacting Hawaii and forcing Norwegian Cruise Line’s Pride of America to depart from Hilo harbor several hours ahead of schedule.

Originally scheduled for a 6:00 PM Hawaii Standard Time (HST) departure on July 29, the cruise ship’s plans were suddenly changed following the tsunami warning, which projected potential wave impacts along the Hawaiian coastline around 7:15 PM HST.

Many passengers and crew were still in port and not able to get back to the ship before the vessel was forced to pull away from the port and head for deeper waters.

This is a typical procedure for tsunami warnings, as a vessel in deeper water will barely even notice a tsunami traveling beneath it, and it’s much safer for the ship and all on board if the ship is away from the port if and when a tsunami strikes.

Passengers on shore excursions were caught off guard as you can imagine. One cruiser, Jeffrey Booker, spoke with ABC15 with the Pride of America visible in the distance.

He had been visiting Volcano National Park when the alarm sounded.

“We saw the tsunami warning go off on our phones and then one of the tour operators from our cruise ship, the Pride of America, said everyone back to the ship fast as you can. Um ship’s leaving at 3:30 [HST].”

But as Booker was still a ways away from the port, he knew it was going to be a challenge.

“We knew at that point we weren’t going to make it. So, it’s uh it’s pulling away now,” Booker recounted as the video shows the ship beginning to pull away from the pier.

Cut off from the ship, Booker described their situation as “uncharted territory.” They had to figure out their next steps, including managing their rental car and finding last-minute accommodations.

“When you heard about this tsunami, what were your emotion like?” he was asked by the interviewer, to which he replied, “Well, we were at 3,000 plus feet…. And it didn’t immediately dawn on us that that was going to affect the ship. Should have. Should have. Next time if I get a tsunami warning, I’m going straight to the ship.”

ENTIRE west coast is now under a Tsunami warning….the cruise ship “The Pride of America” which is a NCL ship…just left the port in Hawaiii and all the folks who were on an excursion have been told to….find higher ground! Guess they will come back and get them…later!!

— BRIAN!! (@BrianSimpsonKY) July 30, 2025

The ship’s tracking data on CruiseMapper corroborates this early departure. Tracking clearly shows the Pride of America moving away from the Hilo cruise ship dock and into the open waters of the bay.

This was done about two and a half hours before its scheduled departure and aligns with standard maritime safety protocols during tsunami warnings, where deep ocean is considered the safest environment for large vessels.

This move, while very important for the safety of the ship and the majority of its passengers, unfortunately resulted in some cruisers on shore excursions being unable to return to the Pride of America in time.

These passengers face the unexpected challenge of navigating the tsunami warning from land as they listen to local authorities.

Reports have already come in about traffic gridlock in Maui and other parts of Hawaii as residents seek to get to higher ground.  Some forecasts suggest that Hawaii may be hit harder than Japan.

Inbound flights have been cancelled in Hawaii.

Pride of America is currently about 25 miles from the port and traveling at 16 knots in moderate 5-foot waves.

This is a developing story, and updates will be made as new information comes in.

Last week, Cruise Fever published the opening deployment schedule for Celebrity Cruises for sailings in 2027-2028.

Celebrity Cruises will release these new cruises in five batches starting on August 5, 2025. The first batch on August 5 is for cruises to Canada/England, Europe, Japan and spring Transatlantics.

Bookings for the following itineraries on nine Celebrity cruise ships open for sale on August 5, 2025.

Canada, New England & Bermuda

Celebrity Silhouette will sail seven- to 13-night cruises from Boston and Cape Liberty, New Jersey. This includes stops in Iceland and Greenland.

One cruise will visit Bermuda, three to Iceland Greenland, and four to Maine and Canada.

Europe

Celebrity Ascent, Celebrity Apex, Celebrity Constellation, Celebrity Eclipse, Celebrity Equinox, Celebrity Infinity and Celebrity Xcel will all offer cruises in Europe.

Celebrity Ascent will homeport in Civitavecchia (Rome) and offer 10-14 night to Greece, Italy, Turkey and Malta.

Celebrity Apex will sail from Southampton on seven- to 14-night cruises to the Norwegian Fjords and Scandinavia.

Celebrity Constellation will offer cruises from Barcelona and Italy that visit Croatia, France, Italy and Spain.

Celebrity Eclipse will sail from Amsterdam, Athens, and Ravenna, Italy on seven- to 13-night cruises to Europe.

Celebrity Equinox will homeport in Barcelona and offer nine-, 10-, and 11-night cruises around the Mediterranean.

Celebrity Infinity will sail from Athens, Greece and seven-, eight, nine-, 10-, 11-, and 12-night cruises to Greece and Croatia.

Celebrity Xcel will sail from Barcelona and Athens on a variety of sailings to the Italian and French Riviera.

Asia

Celebrity Millennium will sail from both Tokyo and South Korea offering 12- and 13-night cruises around Japan and South Korea. One 15-night sailing will visit Hong Kong and Vietnam before ending in Singapore.

These newly announced itineraries from Celebrity Cruises will open for bookings on August 5, 2025.

You can see all five phases of Celebrity’s opening deployment schedule for 2027-2028 here.

Once you go all-inclusive it’s hard to go back. Here are 7 of the best all-inclusive cruises for 2025 and beyond for those who don’t want to be “nickel-and-dimed”.

The world of all-inclusive cruises could be just what you need if you’re tired of those pesky incidental charges adding up. We’re going to look at the very best options for cruises that offer almost everything at one up-front cost.

The listed price of a cruise on a mainstream line can be a little deceiving. It can also feel like a deal too good to be true. That’s because sometimes it is. Once you add in all the additional charges for specialty dining, beverages, Wi-Fi, gratuity, and shore excursions you begin to see the real cost of a cruise that’s not so inclusive.

While an all-inclusive cruise may cost more, it’s certainly worth it for those who are tired of getting out their cruise card every time they get thirsty.

Without a doubt, if you want a worry-free cruise getaway, all-inclusive is the way to go. There’s something mentally relaxing about knowing the all-in price up front. And not having to continuously worry about how much each drink, excursion, or activity costs is a perk in itself.

In this article we are going to look at all-inclusive cruises and what we think are the best cruise lines to include all those coveted amenities in the cruise fare.

Note: Some of the more mainstream lines have begun offering packages to make voyages more all-inclusive as well. Cruise lines like Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, and Holland America Line have packages that can be added to your cruise to avoid the “nickel-and-diming” experience.

Best All-Inclusive Cruise Lines

Regent Seven Seas Cruises

This is the cruise line that even calls itself “the only truly all-inclusive luxury cruise line“.

For those who can afford it, a stellar quality of service and inclusions await. Regent has one of the best guest-to-crew ratios at sea, boasting an average of 1:1.5 on most cruises.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises also offers some of the most luxurious accommodations at sea, with spacious suites that come equipped with fine linens, marble bathrooms, and private balconies. You’ll feel like you’re staying in a five-star hotel, and you’ll always have an epic ocean view.

Even the smallest suite on The Seven Seas Explorer offers 370 sq. feet of space. The largest suite on this ship is the Regent Suite with an astounding 4,000+ sq. feet to enjoy.

Every accommodation onboard these ships is a suite and 98% of them have a private balcony. While each stateroom has a personal attendant, butler service is reserved for the penthouse guests onboard.

The fleet of Regent Seven Seas ships are classified as medium-sized but the company emphasizes that they have a small ship mentality. Of the six ships in the fleet none of them carry over 750 passengers (yet), making a 55,000 gross ton vessel feel even more roomy.

A 76,550 GT ship is coming to Regent in 2026 with Seven Seas Prestige.  This will be the largest vessel ever built for the cruise line and will accommodate up to 850 passengers.

There is an understated opulence in the decor of these ships, with Picasso paintings, Italian marble, and crystal chandeliers to welcome passengers.

And with over 500 ports of call the cruise line visits, Regent can take you anywhere in the world, all while only having to unpack once.

What’s included in a Regent Seven Seas Cruise?

• Multiple specialty dining venues including dining in your suite
• Beverages including premium drinks
• Laundry services. You can let the crew do your laundry for you or there is a self-service station, all complimentary.
• Pre-paid gratuities
• Free Wi-Fi internet
• Onboard enrichment that includes classes and activities (aerobics, yoga, spinning classes)
• Unlimited shore excursions. You can do more than one in a day if you have the energy for it.
• Almost every Regent cruise includes airfare and for intercontinental cruises business class is typically included as well.
• Most suite categories will include a night at a highly-rated pre-cruise hotel.
• Transfers to and from the ship are included.
• Steam room and sauna in locker rooms

There are some extras you can add on to your bill if you’d like. Spa services such as massages, facials, and pedicures will incur an extra expense. Some cooking classes in the state-of-the-art culinary center will cost extra as well.

You can see a list of cruises and prices for Regent Seven Seas Cruises here.

Scenic Luxury Cruises

Scenic Luxury Cruises and Tours is a privately owned company that has been around since 1986. The company, known mostly for their river cruises, with over 15 river cruise ships in service, has recently moved into the ocean cruise space with their signature yachts.

The first ocean ship, Scenic Eclipse was launched in 2018 with Scenic Eclipse II being launched in 2023.

Both of these sister ocean vessels have a gross tonnage of 17,545, have 200 crew, can carry 228 guests and are 544 feet long.

The small, intimate yachts are designed according to Polar Code Rules but have various sailing itineraries in other exotic parts of the world as well.

Sailings include embarkation ports in New Zealand, Argentina, Iceland, Japan, Portugal and other places and sail anywhere from the Caribbean to Europe, with an emphasis on polar regions like Antarctica.

There is a helicopter on the ship –actually there are two of them for redundancy– that is used for shore excursions as well and holds 6 passengers. This does come at an additional cost.

What’s included in a Scenic cruise?

• Complimentary signature shore excursions
• Unlimited top-shelf drinks and beverages
• Private butler for every cabin
• Free usage of e-bikes
• All on-board gratuities are included
• All transfers to and from the ship
• Specialty dining

Viking

What if all that opulence and fancy luxury isn’t for you, but you still want an all-inclusive cruise and the chance to learn something about the world along the way?

Whether it’s a river cruise or ocean cruise, Viking could fit the bill, all while allowing you to leave your cruise card in your pocket for just about everything. In this section we’ll focus more on Viking Ocean cruises, but the line also has river and expedition ships as well.

By the strictest standards Viking isn’t an all-inclusive cruise line, but since what they do include is so exhaustive, it makes a good fit for this list.

Viking is fairly new to the ocean side of cruising but already has 10 ocean cruise ships to choose from. Having operated river cruises across Europe for decades, the company has successfully taken the ocean cruise industry by storm. For the last seven years Viking, has won the prestigious Travel + Leisure award for #1 cruise line in both river and ocean categories.

Related: Things you won’t have to pay extra for on Viking

What’s unique about Viking?

There is a refined simplicity about how Viking operates their cruises. Every single ocean ship in the fleet is identical. Each ship has 465 cabins and has the same layout, number of decks, restaurants, etc. This means going back on a Viking cruise kind of feels like going back home, as there is an instant familiarity. The line is Norwegian-owned and their ships have a decidedly Scandinavian design to them.

Only passengers 18 and older can sail on a Viking ship, so this is definitely a cruise line for adults only. The heated pools both on the main pool deck and in the aft section of the ship never feel crowded, and the covering over the main pool area means you can take a swim no matter the weather outside.

There is a real focus on destinations and enrichment on a Viking cruise. While you won’t find a casino onboard you will find many insightful talks about ports of call and historical significance. Besides Broadway style shows in the main theater there are interesting lectures given by experts in their field. This is, after all, “the thinking person’s cruise”.

If you’re all about rest and relaxation you will also find what I think is probably the best thermal suite at sea, all included in your fare. A large thermal pool, dry sauna, steam room, and even a snow room can help ease a tired body after a long day of excursions.

Speaking of excursions, Viking gives you a free excursion at just about every single port of call. If you’d like to pay extra for a non-included excursion you can do that as well though. Since a majority of passengers do at least the free shore excursion it’s always fun when back on the ship to recount how the day went with fellow passengers.

There are two specialty dining venues onboard their ocean cruise ships: The Chef’s Table and my personal favorite Manfredi’s. You will need a reservation for each but they are complimentary. I can’t say enough about how much I enjoyed the quality of food on every Viking cruise I’ve been on.

What’s included in a Viking Ocean cruise?

• Free Wi-Fi internet
• Specialty coffee and tea
• In-suite mini bar, replenished every day
• Daily afternoon tea at Wintergarden
• 1 included shore excursion at most ports
• Use of spa facilities and thermal suite
• Self-service laundry facilities
• Transfer bus services
• Airport transfers when airfare is purchased through My Viking Air

Some of the items not included in the fare price will be premium drinks outside of meal times, spa services, and gratuities. You can purchase an airfare package along with your cruise at discount, but airfare is not automatically included in the price of your cruise.

You can see a list of cruises and prices for Viking’s ocean cruises here.

Silversea Cruises

For travelers wanting to sail on a cruise to the far reaches of the earth while dining on the finest cuisine, Silversea Cruises is more than qualified for the task.

The fleet, now expanded with the innovative Nova-class ships, offers a range of sizes, from the smaller vessels of 28,000 and 40,000 gross tons carrying fewer than 600 guests, to the larger Silver Nova (launched 2023) and Silver Ray (launched 2024), which accommodate 728 guests and boast 100% veranda suites.

Along with their 6 expedition ships, Silversea sails to over 900 destinations. This includes Antarctica, Greenland, Africa and the Indian Ocean, the Mediterranean, the Galapagos Islands, the South Pacific, and almost anywhere you can imagine.

Every guestroom on a Silversea cruise ship is a suite and 90% of them have private verandas. The bathrooms have marble countertops and the sheets and linens are of the finest quality. This is the only cruise line that offers butler service in every suite and category, and these butlers are all professionally trained to make your cruise as perfect as can be.

Onboard, there are various amenities such as fitness centers, spas, pools, casinos, theaters and more. And once your appetite has been worked up there are many dining venues available. Almost every restaurant is included in the cruise fare and instead of having one large dining room you can dine at a different style specialty restaurant each night.

What’s included in a Silversea cruise?

Silversea Cruises takes a different approach to all-inclusive cruises. They allow you to select from two different packages so you decide what you want included and what you can do without. The ultra luxury cruise line owned by Royal Caribbean Group offers two programs called Door-to-Door all-inclusive and Port-to-Port all-inclusive, so let’s take a look at what is offered in each.

Door-to-Door

• Private executive transfers
• International flights
• Airport Transfers
• All food and beverages
• Butler service
• Shore excursions
• Expedition in-country air and hotel

Port-to-Port

• All food and beverages
• Butler service
• Shore excursions
• Expedition in-country air and hotel

Gratuities are also included in the cruise fare so that’s one less thing to worry about while on your vacation. The complimentary drinks are also extended to the minibar in each suite and you can tell your butler which types of beverages you prefer. Even 24-hour room service is available at no extra charge.

Passengers are able to book one shore excursion at each port free of charge, and there are many additional excursions you can pay extra for if you would like.

You can see a list of cruises and prices for Silversea Cruises here.

Seabourn Cruise Line

Known for its personalized service, each passenger on Seabourn Cruise Line is treated like royalty on board. From spacious suites to intimate social areas, the ships are designed to give you a sense of privacy and allow you to fully relax and unwind.

But the luxury doesn’t stop there. Seabourn Cruise Line offers a wide range of top-notch amenities, including award-winning cuisine, spas, fitness centers, bars and lounges, swimming pools, and live entertainment. And in select ports of call, Seabourn even offers complimentary shore excursions, although the base fare does not include all shore excursions, except on some expedition voyages.

With Seabourn, you’ll feel like a VIP every step of the way. You’ll have access to a variety of dining options, including The Restaurant for main dining, The Colonnade for informal dining, and The Grill with Thomas Keller (where you can enjoy a meal once during your cruise). Plus, there’s even a Sushi restaurant on board.

Of course, there are a few exceptions to this all-inclusive policy. Access to The Retreat, a luxurious area complete with cabanas, loungers, a hot tub, and a massage area, comes at an additional cost. And while Wi-Fi is complementary you will want to upgrade to the stream package if you want to do anything other than check your email and browse.

Seabourn boasts one of the most modern fleets in the luxury cruise category and offers intimate ships that have a private club atmosphere.

Each suite includes a Personal Suite Host and Attendant to help with anything passengers need. Each suite also has a walk-in closet, marble bathrooms with double vanities, and a dining table for some in-suite dining.

Built to explore, these smaller ships sail to all seven continents and will often visit hidden harbors that larger ships could never access.

For the more adventurous passengers all Seabourn ships have an aft water sports marina that guests can take advantage of when the ship is anchored. From here activities like kayaking, long boarding, and even wind-surfing can be enjoyed.

What’s included in a Seabourn cruise?

• Free Wi-Fi Internet for browsing (for streaming there is an extra charge but Penthouse and Premium suite guests will receive this for free)
• Gratuities
• All beverages (except some premium alcoholic drinks)
• All dining (including caviar)
• Fitness classes
• Self-service laundry
• In-suite movies
• 24-hour room service
• In-suite mini bar, replenished every day
• Access to water sports marina

Shore excursions are not included in the price and can be paid for separately online before your cruise.

You can see a list of cruises and prices for Seabourn here.

Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection

What’s included on a Ritz Carlton yacht?

• A dedicated personal concierge
• All dining venues onboard except one
• 24-hour room service
• Beverages
• Wi-Fi internet
• Water sports activities on the aft marina
• Gratuities

There are a few additional fees for certain services. For example, the S.E.A. restaurant offers a seven-course menu that is paired with wine, but it comes with a $285 cover charge. The Ritz Kids Club costs $45 per child for a three-hour stay. Wi-Fi is included in the price of your stay, but you can upgrade to a faster speed for an additional fee of $38 per day.

While there is no casino or large theater with musicals showing every night, there is live music played on some of the open decks through the voyage.

Explora Journeys

Explora Journeys offers luxury cruises that are both elegant and immersive. The 14-deck ships have a gross tonnage of 63,900 and boast a guest to crew ratio of 1.25:1, among the best in the industry. Each has 461 oceanfront suites that have at least 375 sq. feet of space.

The first ship, Explora I, was launched in 2023, and Explora II launched in 2024. The remaining ships in the series are scheduled to be completed and ready for sailing in 2026 through 2028.

Explora Journeys offers an all-inclusive luxury cruise experience with amenities like high-speed Wi-Fi, thermal suite access, unlimited drinks, 9 dining options, and all onboard gratuities complimentary. Their itineraries include diverse regions such as the Amazon, Caribbean, North and South America, and the Mediterranean, often featuring longer stays in port.

What is included in an Explora Journey’s cruise?

• Spa and thermal suite access
• All on-board gratuities
• Wi-Fi throughout the ship
• Shuttle service from port to city centers
• Unlimited beverages, fine wines and premium spirits, specialty coffees, teas and soft drinks available anytime, including in-suite mini-bar
• 9 dining experiences including in-suite dining”

You can see a list of cruises and prices for Explora Journeys here.

All-Inclusive cruise lines coming soon:

Four Seasons Yachts

Set to debut in January 2026, Four Seasons Yacht’s first 95-suite ship, Four Seasons I, will feature 14 decks, a length of 679 feet, and a width of 88 feet. It will offer dining and beverage options inspired by Four Seasons’ culinary history, as well as a full-service spa and wellness programming.

Each suite will have floor-to-ceiling windows, a ceiling height of 7.9 feet, and a large terrace deck. Guests will be able to connect multiple suites to create larger, villa-like accommodations.

Suite sizes will range from an average of 581 square feet to the top-tier Funnel Suite, which boasts a total of 9,601 square feet of indoor/outdoor living space, including a private wading pool and spa area. The ship will have an impressive staff-to-guest ratio of 1:1.

What is included on a Four Seasons yacht? While Four Seasons Yachts aims for a luxurious experience, their “all-inclusive” model is slightly different from some ultra-luxury lines.

The fare includes:

• Breakfast in designated restaurants (Terrasse and Pistachio)
• Non-alcoholic beverages and light snacks, both in-suite and in select venues
• Gratuities for shipboard employees
• Access to onboard marina water sports offerings on designated “Marina Days” (kayaking, paddleboarding, hydrofoils, water bikes)
• Onboard group exercise classes (based on availability)
• Complimentary breakfast, lunch, and dinner for children 5 years old and younger
• Onboard entertainment and select enrichment programs, including the Kids For All Seasons children’s programming.

Most other dining experiences, alcoholic beverages, and shore excursions will be additional costs, though generous food and beverage experience credits may be offered based on length of sail and suite category.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHX_uDP9RlM

*This article has been updated since its first publication date.

Norwegian Cruise Line is building a waterpark on their private island in The Bahamas, Great Stirrup Cay.

The Great Tides Waterpark is scheduled to open in the summer of 2026 and will not only have 19 waterslides, but also an area just for families.

The Great Tides Waterpark will have a, 800 foot-long lazy river, high-speed waterslides, glowing grotto bar, cliff jumps and more.

The centerpiece of the waterpark will be 170 foot tall The Tidal Tower that is loaded with thrilling waterslides. The area will also have the Caribbean’s only family slide where four guests can slide down at the same time.

The lazy river will have an immersive water experience complete with an accelerated current, a wadding pool, an illuminated grotto tunnel and swim-up bar.

Cliffside Cove will have two different cliff jumps, one 10 feet and the other 15. 

Great Tides Waterpark will have an area for families called the Family Splash Zone.

The new Splash Harbour will be separate from the waterpark and a complimentary splash pad for kids that is surrounded by water activities. It will be located just steps from the pool and have a refreshment lounge with drinks for kids and adults.

These new features are in addition to the pier and Great Life Lagoon (28,000 sq. ft. oceanfront pool) that are currently under construction. Both are scheduled to open later this year.

David Herrera, President of Norwegian Cruise Line, gave the following statement about enhancements coming to Great Stirrup Cay:

“Great Stirrup Cay has always been an amazing part of the Norwegian Cruise Line guest experience and continues to be one of our highest rated destinations. At 270 acres our private island provides us with an incredible blueprint to reinvent what guests can experience when they escape to ‘The Great Life’ with us.

“This new waterpark is an outstanding addition to our recent announcement about other amazing new amenities on the island soon to debut. With each phase of our enhancements, we’re bringing ashore more of what our guests love about sailing with NCL.

“Whether you want to relax by the huge new heated pool – complete with multiple swim up bars, are looking forward to racing down one of the 19 waterslides with your kids at Great Tides Waterpark, or just want to enjoy the ocean breeze from one of the hammocks at Hammock Bay, Great Stirrup Cay will soon boast even more ways to escape to YOUR ‘great life’ for a memorable vacation on and off the ship. I am thrilled to welcome our guests to the greatest private island in the Caribbean!”

We often talk about the issue of lounge chair hogs on a cruise ship.  But those aren’t the only seats that can be ‘saved’ on these massive floating resorts.

A recent Facebook post was shared on Reddit, and it ushered in hundreds of comments on the topic of seat saving. 

Whether it’s in the main theater or in a busy lounge right before a comedian takes the stage, there are some unwritten rules.  A couple of hundred cruisers chimed in to offer up their advice on whether or not seats should be saved and how you should handle it.

“The Rudest Guest”

The Reddit thread that started the lively discussion about the pros and cons of reserving seats all began with an image of the Facebook post which read as follows:

“Just met The Rudest Guest. We were saving a seat for some friends at the [trivia] game area and this man and his wife picked up our jackets and moved them even after being told we’re holding those seats for our friends. Some people have no class or home training.”

This post was later deleted after receiving negative feedback, after it was revealed just how strongly people felt about this kind of comment.

The “First Come, First Served” Camp: No Saving Allowed

Many cruisers firmly believe that if you want a seat, you need to be there to claim it. This sentiment was echoed repeatedly throughout the thread.

One user, responding directly to the post, stated: “I consider those saving seats to be rude. If you want to be at an event, or the casino, be there. Don’t have someone saving you a seat. That keeps others from being able to participate or actually sit where they like.”

Another user, put it like this: “If you’re not there, you’re not there. What’s this saving thing?” Still another said, “Agree with the hating saving seats. Be there or be square!” A regular sentiment in the comment section was to “show up on time like everyone else“.

The original poster of the Reddit thread also shared a personal experience at a comedy club where they refused to move from seats a group was trying to save for family. The host informed the group that “he couldn’t make me move.” They summed it up, “Show up when doors open like the rest of us or get stuck sitting in the back.”

Putting Your Seat Saving on Someone Else

And then there’s the issue of making someone else the “bad guy”.  By asking someone else to save a seat for you, you’re putting them in an often very uncomfortable position.

One Reddit comment stated, “I hate saving seats in venues more than I hate people saving loungers on the lido deck. There are other places you can go to catch some sun that aren’t right next to the pool. For a comedy show or a production show you have to be in that specific venue.”

This user even recounted an instance on a Norwegian ship where an usher told a woman “too bad” when she tried to save seats for her family, then seated other guests there.

Beyond the etiquette debate, some users highlighted the personal stress involved in being the designated seat saver. One person admitted, “It’s extremely stressful for me to save seats for other people.”

Another confessed, “I travel with my mom and she always tries to save seats for 6+ people and it’s a bit embarrassing lol.”

The No-Shows

“The seat savers annoy me because half the time their missing party never shows. Wait outside and get seated when your party shows up like adults,” one person said.

After all, if the group can’t be relied on to show up on time before the show, there’s a good chance they don’t show up at all, or maybe half-way through the show.  And no one wants those glaring eyes from the couple behind them that were told they “can’t sit there” because someone used their hoodie and flip flops to save an entire row.

Short-Term Saves and Small Groups

While many comments opposed seat saving altogether, some cruisers acknowledge that there are acceptable circumstances for it, typically for short durations or a small number of seats.

One offered a nuanced view: “As for shows, I think it’s ok within reason. Saving 2 seats is fine. Saving 6? That’s pretty excessive..you certainly shouldn’t be taking the better seating if you party isn’t ready.” They also noted, “The people who drive me nuts are the people in my party who are never ready and always need their seats saved.”

Some users said there should be a clear time limit: “Like, ten minutes or less? Fine. More than that and no.”

Many were ok with very short-term seat saving.  For instance, “They could have had to use the restroom, went for a drink, etc.” one Reditor stated, adding, “anything beyond that is inconsiderate.”

Some were fine with limited seat saving, but with more major caveat.  “Saving one or two seats at an event for your travel companions who are five minutes behind you, I feel is fine UNLESS the event has started. Once an event starts, saved seats should be surrendered,” one user stated.

Unnecessary Conflict

That heading might seem redundant.  I mean, this your cruise vacation after all, and just about any conflict should be seen as unnecessary.

But seat saving often escalates to direct confrontations, and cruise lines are taking note. One user recalled a past Carnival policy: “the screens outside the Punchliner Comedy Club saying something like ‘seat saving is not allowed.‘” Signs are often posted to say that after 40 minutes, items left in seats unattended will be removed.”

Conflicts are common.  One person in the thread shared a dramatic incident where seat savers “started fights with people over it and started threatening people. They were removed and almost kicked off the ship. Over SEATS.”

Maybe it’s just me but, that’s just not worth all the fuss.

Some Solutions and Considerations

Beyond the debate, some users offered potential solutions. One suggested a simple check at the door: “All it would take is one person at the door asking if your party is all here. If yes, go on in and take your seats, if no, step aside until everyone is there.”

Some cruisers also asked for better venue design for those with mobility issues.

Despite strong feelings about seat saving, there was a general agreement in the comments that physically moving someone’s belongings, as happened in the original post, crosses a line.

Bottom Line

While a strict “first come, first served” approach is recommended by many, some flexibility for short seat vacancies is generally seen as OK. The key takeaway from the discussion: communication and consideration can go a really long way.

And if you really want your seat saved the best way to do so is to—well, actually sit on it.