Diplomacy

Princess Cruises is making a significant change to the main dining room on all of their cruise ships. The change will give guests more flexibility with choices when it comes to evening dining.

Princess Cruises will offer three different table service dining options in the main dining room starting this fall. They will be:

• Traditional dining (early and late seating)
• Reservable dining times
• Walk-In Anytime

There will be one dining room on each ship dedicated to each option.

The three table service options integrate with the cruise line’s OceanNow, which provides guests the convenience of ordering anything, anytime, and receiving it anywhere onboard.

This new dining option first debuted on the newest cruise ship in Princess’ fleet, Sun Princess. The main dining room has three levels, the top is for walk-ins, the middle for reservable times, and the lower level for traditional cruise dining.

Sami Kohen, Princess Cruises vice president of food and beverage, gave the following statement about these new options.

“Our guests have been delighted with the dining flexibility aboard Sun Princess and we’re pleased to extend the concept to all the other ships in our fleet. Now whether guests prefer an early seating every evening, or change things up every night, or even change their mind, these flexible dining options ensure that their dining preference is effortlessly accommodated.”

This new dining on Princess cruise ships will start for cruises that depart on or after September 14, 2024.

Anyone who has made a main dining room reservation for a cruise on or after September 14, 2024, those reservations will be canceled (with an exception for Sun Princess since they already have this new system).  Princess Cruises said that the cancelations are needed to support the transition to the new system.

Starting on June 17, 2024, guests will be able to use the Princess app to opt for traditional dining or flexible dining.

This change from Princess does not affect specialty dining, suite dining, or reserve collection dining.

On Coral Princess and Island Princess, reservable and walk-in dining will be combined into a single main dining room.

Princess Cruises said the reason for this change was due to the popularity of having three different dining options on Sun Princess.

Princess Cruises is one of nine cruise lines owned by Carnival Corporation and they currently have 16 ships in their fleet.

Their second Sphere class ship, Star Princess, will debut in 2025.

Tipping on a cruise ship isn’t as straightforward as I’d like it to be.  Often it’s confusing to first-time cruisers.  It can also be a little controversial.

Who do you tip? How much do you tip? And with auto-gratuities do you need to tip on top of what you already prepaid?

I’ve listed 10 common cruise tipping mistakes that are easily avoidable.

I know this can be a touchy subject, but no matter your perspective in regards to tipping I hope you can learn a couple things that will be helpful.

* This article was updated since the date of its first publishing

Even seasoned travelers who cruise often can make a few of these cruise tipping mistakes that are mentioned below.

Remember, you can enjoy an amazing cruise only because of an amazing crew. The people behind the scenes, making sure your vacation is as smooth as possible, work long and hard hours.

Crew members are the unsung heroes of every cruise ship, so make sure you reflect your gratitude by avoiding these cruise tipping oversights.

That being said, tipping is somewhat subjective. I may tip someone you would not tip and vice versa. The interactions with the crew on a daily basis will vary passenger by passenger.

Rather than being iron-cad rules, these are merely some suggestions I would make for most cruisers.

Read more: 5 reasons you should prepay your tips and 1 reason you shouldn’t

Tipping basics on a cruise

On most cruise lines you will be charged a daily gratuity between $15 and $25 per person per day. Suite guests will pay daily rates on the higher end of that spectrum.

This is typically paid ahead of time, but you can wait until your cruise and pay it then if you would like. If you wait to pay for gratuities it will be added to your bill each day, and you can settle it with a credit card at the end of your voyage.

Where does the money go when you prepay gratuities?

The daily gratuities get divided up between several crew positions on your ship. Some of it goes toward your cabin steward, some to the main dining staff, and some to other housekeeping crew members.

The auto-gratuity system that most mainstream lines have implemented was to address the issue of passengers trying to run around with envelopes of money to hand out to different crew members.

The system of automatic gratuities is simpler, but still causes confusion to some who wonder if they need to tip on top of it. I hope we can address that today.

Here are the biggest cruise tipping mistakes I’ve seen people make.

1.  Not bringing cash

I recently wrote about why I always bring cash on a cruise, and a lot of it comes down to tipping. One of the first things you will want to do before you board your ship is tip the luggage porter, the person who takes your large bags and gets them on the ship for you.

You will need cash to do this.  The porters don’t walk around with credit card processing machines or Venmo QR codes. The amount you tip is up to you, but anywhere from $2 – $5 per bag is typical. Porters work hard every day at the cruise terminal and rely heavily on the tips they receive. Bring some cash and make sure you’re prepared.

Luggage porters aren’t the only ones you may want to tip in cash. Some of the points below explain other situations in which a cash tip is best.

2.  Only bringing large bills

So, you’ve passed step number one and have cash for your cruise, but what about smaller bills? If you only have 50 or 100 dollar bills, you might have a hard time getting change. I always try to make sure that I have a nice blend of denominations with my cash.

I recommend bringing along a bunch of one-dollar bills in addition to fives, tens, and a few twenties as well. Don’t expect to get change when you tip, and even asking for change when tipping might be slightly condescending. I have never regretted having smaller bills to show my gratitude on a cruise. It’s always good to have some five-dollar bills on you.

3.  Only tipping for exceptional service

Some have the viewpoint that tipping should only be done when service is surprisingly beyond compare. But this is a mistake. We can debate about whether or not cruise members are paid enough for all they do — this is an entirely different discussion–, but the simply truth is that tips are a large part of their income.

And while you will almost always have fantastic service on a cruise, don’t withhold a tip if you weren’t exactly blown away. Some passengers set expectations so high that it helps them justify not leaving a tip at all. The crew will occasionally make mistakes, but a kind word and a small tip in spite of it can go a long way.

4.  Forgetting about the dining staff or room steward

Your prepaid gratuities already go toward your stateroom attendant and dining wait staff, so you might not feel the need to tip any extra. And that’s well within your prerogative.

Maybe it’s just because it’s in my American mindset to tip for services like this, but I always like to leave the cabin steward some extra cash in the room before the cruise is over.

If I did use the main dining room more often than not on a cruise, I will leave them some extra as well. Of course, with my-time dining options it will be harder to do this as you may have a different wait staff each time.

Note: Your automatic gratuities do go towards the wait staff and cabin steward already. If you’re financially strained, don’t’ feel like you have to tip any extra on top of this. But if you do have tips removed from your account (as mentioned in another point below) make sure you at least tip these two crew members.

5.  Forgetting to tip for room service

With cruise lines recently making changes in regards to room service fees you might think tipping is optional with room service. And while some of the major cruise lines are adding gratuities automatically to a room service bill, you can still leave few dollars in cash to your delivery person. In some cases you can add it to the receipt, depending on the cruise line.

Room service is still free on a few of the major lines– for the continental breakfast– and almost always complimentary on an all-inclusive cruise. When you receive room service for free you may not even think to tip or know what to tip, and that’s mainly why I’m making this point. Make sure you show your gratitude for having that delicious food brought right to your cabin.

Some cruise lines like Carnival and Royal Caribbean still offer a continental breakfast for free on their room service menu. So, it can be easy to forget to tip if you’re used to having the charge already put on your account.

Related: Cruise ship room service and what each cruise line charges

6.  Tipping in the wrong currency

This one is especially true when tipping while in port and off of the ship. Tipping in the wrong currency can cause a few issues while on a cruise or in a cruise port city. First, it can be an inconvenience for the recipient as they may have to exchange the currency, which can result in bad exchange rates and extra fees.

Also, it can be seen as disrespectful to the local culture and currency. So, it’s always best to tip in the local currency to avoid any misunderstandings or offense.

To avoid tipping in the wrong currency, it’s a good idea to do some research before your trip. This way, you can ensure that you’re following the local customs and showing respect to the culture. Remember, respecting local customs is an essential part of traveling, and tipping in the right currency is a simple way to show that respect.

7.  Thinking if you prepay gratuities you will get lower quality service

Some people mistakenly think that if they prepay gratuities through the cruise line ahead of time it will result in poor service. We mentioned this in another article about cruise tipping that leaving a cash tip on day one of your cruise is not necessary to get quality service.

I know some cruisers that like to start their cruise by tipping right out of the gate. This is fine if you just want to pay forward your gratuity, but don’t do this if you’re motivation is to be treated like royalty. In most cases, you will receive excellent service regardless.

8.  Forgetting to tip tour guides and drivers

Always bring some of that aforementioned cash with you when you go on a shore excursion. If you do a tour or take a trip on a bus make sure you tip both your tour guide and bus driver. These workers are often overlooked on many cruises I’ve been on.

The same goes for tipping taxi drivers when you’re in port. Again, cash might be the only thing they will take, and in most of the Caribbean you can tip in U.S. currency.

As a side note, it can be nice to have some cash on your cruise so you can also tip people like street performers while in port. A good rule of thumb is that if you stop to take a picture or listen to a musician on the street, you should put a little something in the tip jar.

9.  Removing gratuities

Yes, you are able to have all gratuities removed from your bill. But this is something I would not recommend unless you then proceed to handsomely cash tip the many crew members on your ship that helped make your vacation happen.

If you didn’t receive the service you expected, you should talk to guest services about it and they will make it right, but crew members rely on these tips to make ends-meet. And the last thing you want to do is remove the auto-gratuity and then forget to tip your cabin steward and dining staff in person.

I’ve heard of cases where some cruisers chose not to prepay for tips, but then after seeing the charges added to their account they got a little sticker shock and asked to have them removed. This is why I recommend prepaying for gratuities ahead of time, so you know exactly what you are paying.

10.  Feeling like you have to tip when the gratuity was already added

After ordering a beverage or service on a cruise ship you may see a service charge added to the actual price. If a gratuity has already been added, don’t feel that you absolutely must tip extra on top of it. You can, of course, tip extra if you feel the crew went above and beyond.

Some first-time cruisers feel pressured to tip extra on top of these gratuity charges, so I want to make sure they know this is optional. A few points below will explain situations in which a tip is not essential.

A few cases when you don’t need to tip

Tipping is voluntary, so you can still tip in these situations if you would like. But there are a few cases where it’s not necessary.

• After spa service: Cruise lines will typically add an 18% gratuity charge to your bill. You can tip more if you would like, of course.
• If the crew helped with a special request: You are not expected to tip if a crew member gets you extra hangers for your room or padding for your mattress.
• Kid’s club workers: This service is offered for free on most cruise ships and you’re not expected to tip, but slipping that worker a twenty for allowing you to have a date night with your special someone is always appreciated.
• Entertainment: Whether it’s a magic show or comedy show you don’t have to tip these workers. You can always tip the pianist at the piano bar if you enjoyed the performance or have a song request.
• Maintenance staff: If one of the crew fixes that leaky faucet in your stateroom you don’t need to tip, but hey, it’s up to you.

Below are the current gratuity rates for other mainstream cruise lines.  Prices are per day, per person in the stateroom.

Final thoughts

The concept of tipping is fairly American in a lot of ways. If you’re from another part of the world you might think tipping is unnecessary and strange, and perhaps it is. But it’s a big part of the cruise industry and how these ships are operated.

Some of the crew members on a cruise ship are from very poor countries and spend six months or more away from their families. Even a little tip can go a long way.

I hope you found these pointers helpful.

Got any thoughts on tipping on a cruise ship? Let us know in the comments below, even if you disagree with 100% of what I said. I’m just glad you came by.

Read more: 5 reasons you should prepay your cruise tips and 1 reason you shouldn’t

I have taken over 75 cruises on close to 20 cruise lines all around the world. I have cruised everywhere from the Caribbean to Europe to Asia. While every destination is unique, there is one thing that is constant. You always have to watch out of travel scams.

Here are a few of the scams that I’ve personally encountered in different countries while taking cruises and how you can avoid them.

Taxi Scams

Let’s start with a couple common ways that some taxi drivers will try to scam you.

The first one is that they will quote you the fare price up front and then turn off the meter. They do this because this way they can overcharge you. Unless it’s a flat fare (In Rome, all taxi rides from the airport to city center and vice versa are 50 Euros), always ask them to turn the meter on.

Even if they turn the meter on, some will take you the scenic route (aka long way) to drive up the fare price. I once had a taxi driver tell me that roads were closed due to a protest so he had to take the long way. Of course, there was no protest as we drove by the main road and it was empty. He didn’t know I was familiar with that area.

Sometimes, there really isn’t anything you can do when this happens. I like to call it the “tourist tax” and just laugh about it.

Another scam some taxi drivers attempt is the “bill switch” or “switcheroo” trying to prey on you not being familiar with their currency.

After one taxi ride, the driver said it was 18 Euros. I handed him a 20 and turned to get out of the car. He then stated again that the ride was 18 Euros and I turned around to him holding a 5. He switched the 20 I gave him for a 5 trying to make me think I gave him the wrong bill. This was all done in the matter of seconds.

My first thought was, “oh I just have given him the wrong bill”. But I quickly remembered reading about this scam and realized he was trying to pull it on me.

I got really firm with him, told him I gave him a 20, and that he wasn’t going to scam me. He tried to convince me I gave him a 5 until I said, “Let’s talk to that police officer right over there”. He gave up trying to scam me at that point.

Now, I just say out loud what bill I’m handing them and this way they can’t try to scam you.

Below is a hidden video by Conor Woodman taken in a taxi showing how this works. The only difference is in the video, the taxi driver switches for a fake bill instead of a smaller one.

They also love to tell you they don’t have change so they can keep the difference.

How can you avoid these scams? While you can use Uber, they do not offer service in many countries. However, there is usually a taxi app that you can use in each country that will help you avoid getting ripped off. For instance in Italy, I use itTaxi. In Spain and many European countries, it’s FREE NOW. When in Asia, I use Grab.

You can have the rides charged right to your credit card and you will get a fare estimate when you search for a ride. The apps are just like using Uber/Lyft but the rides are in taxis and not private cars. I highly recommend using these apps for rides in foreign cities.

Another great app I use is Welcome Pickups. They are available in 228 cities in 92 countries. You are guaranteed a driver who speaks English and for airports rides, it can’t be beat. The prices are extremely reasonable and you won’t get ripped off. I have used them in Amsterdam, Paris, Spain and Italy.

Street Scams

It doesn’t matter where you are in the world, street scams seem to be ubiquitous.

A good rule of thumb is that if someone is trying to hand you something and they say it is free, it’s probably not free. In Caribbean ports and even in Europe, they often try to put a bracelet or necklace on you and then charge you for it after it’s on.

Sometimes they like to hand women a “free” rose only to make you pay them for it once it is in your hand.

Another common street scam is “3 Card Monte”, “3 Cups and a Ball”, or “Find the Queen”. They are all run the same and here’s how it works.

You see a group of people standing and betting on a game that looks insanely easy to figure out. They have three playing cards with one of them being a queen. The dealer will move them around right in front of you and if you can choose the right one, you double your money.

A group of people are betting and getting it wrong. A few get it right and win. You follow along and can obviously tell which card is the queen or which cup has the ball in it. You think it’s super easy so you try it.

No matter how many times you try, you will lose 100% of the time. They will use sleight of hand so you never win, and they are very good at it.

The group of people playing before you are all in on the scam to make it look easy to win to suck in tourists. There’s usually anywhere from 6-10 people in on it. They only use sleight of hand when you’re playing, not to those in on the scam. They are basically street magicians who try to rip you off.

I’ve seen this game played on the street everywhere from Venice to Paris to Barcelona to Las Vegas. They always have lookouts for police and can pack up in seconds if one is coming.

These aren’t the only way that you can get tricked while in port, you can read our article on 10 Sneaky Cruise Port Tricks People Keep Falling For here.

Whatever you do, don’t let these common scams keep you from traveling and seeing the world. It’s just something to keep in the back of your mind so you can have the best possible trip.

Don’t miss your ship.  It’s the number one rule of taking a cruise and being in a foreign port.

And yes, it happens more often than you might think.  After recent news of a group of cruise passengers missing their ship in Africa, it put some fear in potential cruise goers.

The group spent tens of thousands of dollars to reunite with their ship, and the story was plastered all over every cruise news website for a week straight.

But why do some cruise passengers not get back to their ship on time?    There are a few reasons for this but one big one we will mention below.

The captain of a cruise ship sincerely wants everyone to be on board before the ship sails off to the next port of call.  But it’s not fair to all the other passengers to show up late to the next port or run into extra schedule conflicts because a few passengers didn’t show up.

By the way, it’s not the end of the world if you do get back to the cruise port too late.  We’ve talked about what happens when you miss your cruise ship before if you’d like to check it out.

 In this article we will look at the biggest reason this happens in the first place.

Looking at the wrong time

Always stay on ship time.   It might sound strange, but cruise ships will often keep a different time from the port of call they are visiting.

The captain usually makes an announcement about local time versus ship time to remind you to stay on ship time for departure.

But on every cruise, there are inevitably a few passengers who forget.  They might use their phone as a watch, forgetting that their phone will switch to local time automatically.

So, when the ship sails away at 4pm but their phone says it’s only 3pm and they have plenty of time… well, we end up with disappointed passengers at the end of an empty pier.

For this reason, I will often use a regular watch (not a smart watch) and keep it on ship time for the duration of the cruise.

Read more: Drive or fly: 8 question to ask before you plan your cruise travel

Underestimating local port traffic

Here’s a helpful cruise tip.  Ask your cabin steward about local traffic.  Especially in more popular ports of call the crew will know all too well what traffic is like around the area. 

After all, if they miss the ship, it’s a pretty big deal and could cost them their job.  And because crew members often get familiar with ports of call as they have time to get off the ship and explore, you can benefit from their experiences.

You might look at a map and see that a local beach is only 5 miles away.  But with backed up traffic at rush hour when you’re supposed to get back to the ship, it could take 30-45 minutes.

Other issues with public transportation, taxis, or rental car trouble could also delay the expected time to get back.

Underestimating traffic is a major reason some passengers fail to get back on the ship in time.

But it’s not the biggest reason.

Read more: 10 biggest mistakes cruisers make on port days

Booking 3^rd party excursions far from port

From what I have seen this is the number one culprit for people missing their ship. 

They see an amazing cruise excursion that they can book for 50% off the cruise line price.  Sure, it’s 2 hours from the port of call, but it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity, so why not?

You can definitely save money by booking excursions outside of the cruise line.  But remember the one problem.  A cruise ship will not wait for you if your excursion runs late and you booked through a 3^rd party.

If you book an excursion through the cruise line, they will wait for you even if it runs late and will be in communication with the tour operators the entire time.

My recommendation: if you do decide to book an independent excursion, make sure it’s close by the port and that it ends well before it’s time for your ship to set sail.

Final Thoughts

These aren’t the only reasons people miss their ship.  They are just the big ones.

A few other reasons could include health emergencies, accidents, or just losing track of time while doing some souvenir shopping.  Also, some have the attitude, “Oh, they’ll wait for us so no need to hurry back,” which is not correct.

The truth of the matter is that with 4,000 + passengers on a ship, it could seem like a small miracle that even 99% make it back in time.

And for those who do make it back in time, it has become a cruisers ritual to watch the “pier runners” trying to make it onto the ship as passengers cheer them on from the lido deck above.

Some cruisers will miss their ship from day one as well.  I always recommend people fly into the departure port a day ahead of time.  This makes the whole day a lot less stressful and gives you a buffer should a flight be delayed.

Read more: 7 reasons you should never fly on cruise day

I recently had the chance to enjoy a cruise in a Sky Suite on Celebrity Ascent in stateroom 10187.   This was one of the ship’s first cruises out of Port Everglades, and it was the first time I had ever stayed in this cabin category with the cruise line.

It didn’t take long to see why these suites are so popular. 

Sky Suites are on all Celebrity Edge-class ships including Celebrity Edge, Celebrity Apex, Celebrity Beyond, Celebrity Ascent, and Celebrity Xcel (coming in 2025).

Each of these ships has 146 Sky Suites, although they are not all identical.

Video Tour of the Sky Suite on Celebrity Ascent

Not only did it have one of the best bathrooms I’ve ever had on a cruise ship – more on the humongous tub later–, but it also came with a bunch of perks that made me want to try this stateroom category again very soon.

Here are 6 things I loved about Celebrity’s Sky Suite.

*I was an invited guest on Celebrity Ascent and the opinions stated here are 100% my own.

1. The Space

One of the first things that struck me when I walked into this suite was the width of the space.   Sure, it’s a suite, so it’s supposed to be bigger.  But even for an entry point suite it was nice to not walk into a long narrow cabin.

This also meant a wider and more spacious balcony.

With about 319 sq. ft. of space in the cabin and 78 sq. ft. on the balcony, it felt more like a swanky hotel room than a tight and cramped cruise ship stateroom.  The square footage of Sky Suites will vary from 254 sq. ft to 362 sq ft.

The bed also faced the ocean views of the veranda which was lovely. 

By the way, S1 and S2 category Sky Suites have a bed that faces the ocean (Except the aft S1’s) while S3 Sky Suites have a bed facing the wall. 

I really liked the nice long and comfy couch, ample closet space, having plenty of room to stretch my legs, and of course the immense bathroom.

2. The Location

My cabin number was 10187.  As an S1 Sky Suite, it was in an ideal location for me: right in the middle of the ship.

It was also in a convenient buffer zone between the resort deck above on deck 14 and the Grand Plaza on deck 5 below.

I usually like to have a passenger deck above and below my cabin as a noise buffer.

There are Sky Suites available on decks 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 as well.

S1’s usually have some of the best locations for this cabin category, and many of the S3’s are underneath the Magic Carpet which acts like an overhang.

Read more: 8 Tips for Picking the Best Cabin on a Cruise Ship

3. The Bathroom

The upgrade from a regular balcony cabin to a Sky Suite is worth it JUST based on the bathroom alone.  I know it sounds like hyperbole, but I’ve grown tired of cramped cruise ship bathrooms.  You simply should not be able to touch every wall in the bathroom while sitting on the toilet.

I couldn’t believe the size of the bathtub and shower space in this suite.   There were multiple shower heads, including a rain shower, and enough room to spin around and dance if I wanted to.

The extra wide oval-shaped tub was the biggest I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying on a cruise ship. 

I also liked that the toilet area was separate and had its own door.  It’s those little details that can be a big deal, especially on a 7-night cruise with a partner.

A very unique feature of this bathroom was above the sink area.  Two faucets shared an elegant sink basin, which I guess still counts as a “double sink”.    Right above that was a mirror with a divide in the middle.  This allowed it to slide to each side and reveal a window looking out over the rest of the suite. 

So, I could brush my teeth while enjoying ocean views or just let some natural light into the space.  Pretty cool.

4. The Perks and Amenities

It was a nice touch having access to some upgrades in household type items like premium towels and bathroom amenities.  There are also those little things you don’t think about until you need them like binoculars and an umbrella, which were neatly tucked away in the closet.

It doesn’t get much better than having a suite on a Celebrity cruise ship.  In fact, some cruisers will book this suite just to have access to the perks.  Here are just a few of the bonuses Sky Suite guests get.

• Access to The Retreat
• Premium Wi-Fi
• Retreat Butler
• Dedicated pre-cruise and onboard concierge.
• Priority Check-in, departure, and port tendering
• Reserved theater searing on Evening Chic nights
• Access to Luminae
• Complimentary in-suite dining
• Complimentary beverages
• Fresh fruit upon request
• Premium bathroom amenities and bedding

There are a lot more perks but these are some of the big ones most people ask about.

Also, the picture below shows a few of the design elements and included amenities in my Sky Suite.

5. Luminae

I know I already mentioned this in the point above, but I’m a big fan of Luminae.  The first time I ate at this exclusive restaurant was on Celebrity Silhouette when I booked a suite on the resort deck.

Initially, I planned on eating at different restaurants each night, but after one experience in this restaurant I was hooked and kept coming back.

The exclusive menu at Luminae has some amazing dishes, and the service has always been personalized and attentive to every detail in my experience.

One of the best perks about booking a Sky Suite is that you can eat at Luminae as often as you would like. 

Any time I book a Celebrity cruise and don’t have a suite makes me really miss this place.

6. The Retreat

Ok, we have to talk about the Retreat for a moment here.  This exclusive part of the ship is accessible to every suite guest, including Sky Suite passengers.

The uber cushy loungers, inviting sundeck, and aft pool at the Retreat make for a great place to just relax for a while.  And it’s actually in a location that feels away from the rest of the ship and any excess noise from the resort deck.

Having access to this area of the ship included is a nice little perk not to be overlooked.

You can see a short video of the Retreat on Celebrity Ascent in the video at the bottom of this article.  The Retreat footage starts at minute marker 7:14 if you want to skip right to it.

One Negative

When you think of a suite you might think of a stateroom with at least two rooms or a divider between two living spaces.  With the Sky Suite it’s more like a spacious studio without the separate rooms.

The space is bigger and the bathroom is massive for a cruise ship, but you won’t have multiple rooms that are interconnected like the name might imply.

And this issue is not unique to Celebrity.  Many cruise lines have “suites” or even “mini-suites” that don’t adhere to the usual definition of the word.  But as long as you know that going on, you can enjoy all the other perks and bonuses of this stateroom category.

Final Thoughts

There are only 146 Sky Suites on each Excel-class with Celebrity, so if you want to try one out you should book as early as possible.  I also recommend the S1 category if you can find one available.

S1 suites are in more desirable locations on the ship and S3’s are the least expensive of the three.

If you want access to The Retreat and Luminae, want a spacious bathroom and plenty of space, the Sky Suite might be the perfect home away from home on your next Celebrity cruise.

Video Tour of Celebrity Ascent:

MSC World America, a new 200,000 gross ton cruise ship that will offer cruises from Miami, has entered its final stage of construction.

MSC World America is MSC Cruises’ second World class ship. The vessel just moved to its final stage of construction at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard. Now that the ship has been floated out, the interior of the vessel will be completed.

MSC World America will sail from PortMiami starting in April 2025. MSC Cruises is currently building the largest cruise terminal in North America to accommodate the ship.

The ship will be MSC’s largest to offer cruises from the U.S. and all sailings will visit the cruise line’s private island in The Bahamas, Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve. You can see itineraries and prices for the ship here.

MSC World America will have 22 decks, more than 2,600 staterooms, and 420,000 square feet of public space.

Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of MSC Cruises, gave the following statement:

“MSC World America is another example of the incredible professional partnership between us and the Chantiers de l’Atlantique with whom we have designed five distinct and innovative prototypes – the most recent being the ground-breaking World Class platform. With each and every ship we strive to improve and enhance not only the environmental technology but also new features that enrich the experience for the guest as we design for the future holiday experience. MSC World Asia continues in this tradition and with this important milestone of the steel cutting we are pleased to confirm that she will offer even more advanced new features in terms of future-proof marine and onboard hospitality technologies as well as guest experiences.”

In addition to the float out of MSC World America, the cruise line also cut the first piece of steel for their third World class ship, MSC World Asia. 

MSC World Asia will enter service in 2026 and will feature signature design touches, experiences and features inspired by its continental namesake.

Laurent Castaing, General Manager, Chantiers de l’Atlantique commented:

“We are very proud to begin construction on MSC World Asia. The third ship in the World Class series will feature cutting-edge technologies, making it one of the cleanest, most energy-efficient ships in the world. She embodies MSC Cruises’ and Chantiers de l’Atlantique’s long-term partnership and commitment toward the environment.”

Both cruise ships will be powered by LNG and will offer one of the lowest carbon footprints in the industry. They will also be able to connect to shore power where it is available.

MSC Cruises is currently the world’s third largest cruise line with 22 ships in their fleet. They have three more ships scheduled to debut by 2027.