Luxury Cruise News Editor, Author at Luxury Cruise News

10 Terrific Day Bags for Your Cruise

Depending on whether you plan on spending your days at port lounging on the beach, or exploring the city, your day bag could be your best friend…or your worst enemy. From theft-proof backpacks to the best beach bags, we’ve curated the perfect collection of day bags for your cruise.

Best Water Resistant BackPack under $20

HIKPRO 20L

This durable, water-resistant backpack gets rave reviews on Amazon. It’s lightweight and foldable, but also sturdy and tear-resistant. Three zippered compartments and a variety of colors make this one of the all-around best choices.

Best Floatable Waterproof Bag

Freegrace Waterproof Drybags Set of 3

The Freegrace Waterproof Drybag dry bag, waist pouch, and phone case can adequately withstand water submersion. So, your belongings stay dry, whether you’re swimming, kayaking, rafting, or boating, making it a great choice if your shore excursions are filled with adventure. Unlike traditional roll-top bags, the dry bag features double zip lock seals keeping items twice as safe.

Best Anti Theft Backpack

OUTJOY Anti Theft Travel Backpack

An excellent choice for city sightseeing, the antitheft backpack is equipped with a distinctive firm fabric and solid PVC shell, with a secure lock to ward off theft and keep your valuables safe. It easily travels through security checkpoints, is water-resistant, and stylish too!

Best Slingback Crossbody for Ladies

Mosiso Slingback Backpack

The multipurpose crossbody’s adjustable straps give you the versatility to wear it as a chest bag, sling bag, travel bag, or crossbody. It’s water repellent and features multi-function storage areas to keep your belongings organized. Choose from a variety of colors, but we love that the floral pattern is perfect for tropical cruise destinations.

Best Waterproof Backpack Diaper Bag

Vogshow Waterproof Diaper Bag

How cute and practical is this light pink diaper backpack? Not only does it free your arms, but magnetic buttons instead of zippers make opening the bag with one hand a breeze! Insulated pockets keep milk at the desired temperature, and the antitheft pocket protects cellphone, cash, and cards.

Beach Tote With Cooler

GINRY Beach Bag with Cooler Compartment

Genius! Take everything you need onshore, including beverages, in one bag. The zippered mesh bag not only stores towels, swimwear, toys, and sunscreen but includes an insulated cooler compartment. The bag is waterproof, and the cooler is leak-proof, yes, please.

Best Men’s Slingback

Wisfruit Anti Theft Sling Bag

This men’s slingback checks all the boxes when it comes to best cruise day bags. It’s waterproof and theft proof. It also has a USB Charging Port with a built-in charge cable and power bank pouch. It’s simple and covers all the bases while still coming in under $30.

Best Crossbody

Travelon Anti-Theft Signature Slim Day Bag

If you are looking for a slim and straightforward crossbody for city excursions, this is your best bet. The Travelon features a slash and cut resistant strap, front slash pocket for your smartphone and 5 RFID blocking card slots and passport pocket.

Best Mesh Beach Tote

Mesh Beach Bag Tote

Seven ample pockets and a large middle compartment holds everything you need for a day onshore. The tote is made of water-resistant polyester and quick-drying mesh, allowing airflow for damp towels, while keeping sand and water out. The foldable design makes it easy to pack in your luggage until needed.

Best Basic Beach Bag

Water-Resistant Tote

This water-resistant tote easily transitions from a beach bag to a day bag or gym bag if you are heading to the fitness room on board the ship. It’s washable and waterproof, with durable straps for ease when carrying. One large zipper pocket ensures items won’t fall out. The best part? The variety of fun prints!

Once your excursions are planned, don’t forget to order one of the essential items for your cruise…the day bag!

Best Cruises to Have your Wedding

Congrats—you’re engaged! Choosing a venue or destination for your wedding ceremony and celebration is one of the most important decisions that you’ll make during the planning process. Are you thinking about having a destination wedding? How about having your wedding on a cruise?! This is possible and makes for an incredible wedding day full of lasting memories.

Tie the Knot at Sea with Princess Cruises

When you choose to have your wedding with Princess Cruises, you can tie the knot at sea! With this exciting option, you can get married by the ship’s captain. It’s possible to have a legal ceremony in the cruise ship library or wedding chapel. You can also plan to get married harborside or ashore if you prefer. Cake, flowers, appetizers, and drinks can be provided for your celebration as well!

Walk Down the Isle with Carnival Cruise Line

Carnival Cruise Line also does weddings! They take care of much of the planning so that couples can relax and enjoy the entire cruise and wedding experience. When you decide to walk down the aisle with Carnival Cruise Line, you can get married aboard the ship while at port, while sailing at sea, or an incredible destination of your choosing. You can even have non-sailing guests join you to celebrate. There are options for all couples-—whether planning a more intimate celebration or a grand wedding.

Celebrate Your Love for Each Other with Celebrity Cruises

Celebrity Cruises is another option if you want to get married while cruising. When you choose to celebrate your love with Celebrity Cruises, they can handle much of the planning details for you. They can provide music, entertainment, flowers, photography, spa services, and more! This will allow you to fully enjoy the day rather than trying to work out all of the small planning details. Many packages are available, and you can get married on the ship or once you arrive at port. They also do vow renewals and perform legal same-sex marriages.

Say I Do with Royal Caribbean

You can also choose to have your wedding with Royal Caribbean. This cruise line offers packages that are meant to make your wedding stress-free and fun. Various packages are available for booking, whether you wish to say I do at sea, during embarkation day, or on port day. Royal Caribbean can take care of all of those important details like the cake, photos, salon services, and entertainment. When saying I do with Royal Caribbean, both small intimate ceremonies and large weddings are welcome.

You don’t have to have a traditional wedding. Instead, celebrate in an incredible destination or at sea while taking the cruise of your life. This experience will make for an exciting way to begin your marriage!

Be the First to Experience Silversea’s Groundbreaking Expedition World Cruise 2022

If you’re the type of person that likes to get in on “firsts,” then you’re going to jump at the chance circumnavigate the far corners of the globe, on one spectacular vacation. Silversea’s Cruises just launched its First Ever Expedition World Cruise 2021. You’ll be able to book this once in a lifetime experience, sailing to 107 dazzling destinations.

This experience of a lifetime affords guests such intimate and privileged access to exclusive events like a private dinner at Robert Louis Stevenson’s former home in Apia, Samoa Islands, a night at the illustrious China Club where you will enjoy a spectacular dinner on the 52^nd floor of Singapore’s Capital tower and a bespoke banquet on the walkway of London’s most famous landmark, the Tower Bridge. More than simply pulling into port and embarking on an excursion, Silversea’s has dreamt up the most illustrious experiences meant to enhance the voyage, and elevate the senses.

Curated to bring the beauty of the world to you, the Uncharted World Tour departs from Ushuaia, Argentina on January 30, 2021. The prestigious ice-class ship, Silver Cloud, will spend over 167 days at sea, covering 30 countries across six continents. If you’re familiar with the Silversea’s fleet, you’re aware of the unprecedented service and accommodations that lie ahead. Your home away from home boasts a serious interlude of exceptional epicurean fare, around the clock butler service for suite guests, and customized suite amenities from toiletries down to personalized stationery. Let your personal butler take pampering to the next level by chilling your preferred beverage, polishing your shoes, organizing and in-suite cocktail party and drawing a scented whirlpool bath. And that’s just on the ship. What lies ahead is a cultural mélange beyond the imagination.

Explore the frozen continent of Antarctica, spend two days on Easter Island in French Polynesia and meet the descendants of the Bounty Mutineers in Pitcairn. Zodiacs allow for on water exploration of Australia’s Kimberley region. Come face to face with orangutans in their natural surroundings in Malaysia’s Borneo and experience a behind the scenes exploration of Luxor, Egypt before turning back the clock with the historical highlights of Greece, Albania, Tunisia, and Spain. But that is just the beginning. You will visit the ancient monastery of Mont St. Michel and all that the United Kingdom has to offer, concluding your trip by traveling deeper into Northern Europe’s impressive landscapes of Iceland, Svalbard and Norway’s North Cape.

What does a trip of a lifetime cost? While Silver Cloud’s two-bedroom Owners Suite comes in at roughly $404,000 per person, the ships vista suites begin at $99,000 per person. The price includes business class air and charter flights from Santiago to Ushuaia as well as your expedition gear (commemorative World Cruise Polar exploration parka, a waterproof backpack, and various other items of clothing and accessories). delivered directly to their suites. But, can you really put a price on a journey around the world?

“The Expedition World Cruise 2021 has been specially crafted to unlock the world’s most amazing deep travel experiences for our guests,” says Conrad Combrink, Silversea’s Senior Vice President Expeditions and Destination Experiences. And that it does.

Get Free Business Class Flights With Your Next Cruise

If you’re thinking of taking a cruise soon, you’ll want to consider sailing with Regent Seven Seas Cruises. The luxury all-inclusive cruise line has an exciting promotion that can help travelers save on the cost of a fantastic vacation. When you book a suite cabin on one of their ships, you may be eligible for free business class flight tickets! This offer is an excellent way for you to arrive refreshed and relaxed, ready to enjoy your cruise experience.

Regent Seven Seas wants to make it even more enticing for you to book one of their upcoming journeys. All guests who book a suite will be eligible for free business class air on intercontinental flights. This means you can get to and from your destination in comfort and style, at no extra cost to you.

To take advantage of this offer, travelers must book a qualifying cruise. You can view a whole list of available cruises here. All suite categories booked are eligible for this promo. Flights must be to and from a select list of airports — all other U.S. and Canadian airport flights will face additional charges.

Luckily, you have many voyages to choose from! Here are some incredible trips to consider booking:

Rome to Athens (8 nights)

Athens to Barcelona (10 nights)

Buenos Aires to Rio De Janeiro (10 nights)

Sydney to Auckland (14 nights)

Miami to Lima (15 nights)

Vancouver to Tokyo (19 nights)

Dubai to Singapore (20 nights)

Bali to Hong Kong (18 nights)

As you can see, cruises are available to some of the most incredible destinations on the globe. Several suite cabin options are available on all Regent Seven Seas ship, and each suite has unique features to love. You’ll enjoy luxurious amenities and plenty of space to relax.

Viking River Cruise & Downtown Abby

Fans of the award-winning British drama, Downtown Abby are in for the thrill of a lifetime. If you follow Viking Cruises, you already know of the company’s connection to the celebrated MASTERPIECE series that aired on PBS. For years, Viking has offered a host of ways for guests to experience life at Highclere Castle, the great English estate where the show is filmed. Now Viking offers even more exciting opportunities to explore the set, including Highclere Castle and an eight-day river cruise!

To kick off the of the premiere, Viking unveiled a new Pre/Post Cruise Extension; Great Homes, Gardens & Gin. This fantastic tour gives you exclusive access to some of the country estates featured in the acclaimed productions. “Many of our guests were introduced to both Viking and Highclere Castle while watching the Downton Abbey series. For this reason, we are linked in the minds of many Downton Abbey fans,” said Karine Hagen, Executive Vice President of Viking. “Partnering for the release of the new film is a natural extension of our close relationship with Highclere Castle and our close personal friendship with the Earl and Countess of Carnarvon – with whom we proudly created Viking’s highest-rated cruise extension.”

Beginning in 2023, the new five-day extension will be available on Viking’s Rhine Getaway river cruise itinerary and British Isles Explorer ocean cruise itinerary. The extension awards you the opportunity to explore Oxford and truly dive into English country life.

Expect amazing experiences such as ‘Viking’s Privileged Access® tour of Highclere Castle, a visit to Broughton Castle, home of the influential Fiennes family (the renowned British explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes and actors Ralph Fiennes and Joseph Fiennes) and the setting for the MASTERPIECE series Wolf Hall. You’ll also have the opportunity to visit Chavenage House in the Cotswolds, best known for its appearance in the MASTERPIECE series Poldark – and stroll the gardens of Highgrove House, the private home of Charles, The Prince of Wales. While visiting Highclere Castle, you will have an opportunity to taste the recently-launched Highclere Castle Gin, a super-premium London Dry Gin inspired by botanicals from the ‘castle’s gardens. The extension even includes a visit to the nearby Bombay Sapphire Distillery to learn the history and production of gin.

But that’s not all. In addition to the new Great Homes, Gardens & Gin cruise extension, Viking also offers Oxford & Highclere Castle – its highest-rated Pre/Post Cruise Extension, which is available for guests on select river and ocean cruise itineraries. The extension provides guests with an exclusive three-day experience in the rolling hills of England’s countryside with a champagne welcome and a tour of the castle and estate.

As part of the exciting launch, Viking is giving U.S. residents a chance to win a trip to Highclere Castle, with the grand prize including roundtrip international Business Class air for two, an 8-day Paris & the Heart of Normandy river cruise and the 3-night land extension program visiting Oxford and Highclere Castle. For more information and to enter by October 31, 2019 visit: Viking Cruises.

Cruise Shopping 101

From designer duds to specialty shops, cruise ships boast a spectacular shopping scene: and they have a captive audience, you! We’re giving you a first-hand look into cruise shopping, so the next time you set sail you can easily navigate the world of retail; alleviating merchandise mayhem!

What types of shops are onboard?

The better question may be: what shops are not onboard a cruise ship? Most major cruise lines offer just about anything and everything you may need (or want). Boutique shops, kids clothing, luxury jewelry, souvenirs, fragrance, games, even artwork are available to satisfy your retail wishes. Shops vary among cruise lines, but most ships encompass a large variety of luxury retailers including, Chanel, Michael Kors, TAG, Gucci, Furla and more.

Bonus! These items are duty-free!

What is duty-free?

Bottom line? Better prices. Not to be confused with tax-free, duty-free means that the usual taxes imposed on imported items (cigarettes, alcohol, perfume, fine jewelry) are exempt from the payment of individual local taxes(or duties). Meaning, if you are buying items internationally, you are essentially paying taxes twice; once in the country where the items are purchased and again when you bring your merchandise back to the U.S. When you shop duty-free, you are exempt from taxes (VAT) on the items bought internationally. Remember, shops are only open when the ship is in international waters, 50 miles after leaving port. Shops close when the ship is in port.

Is there a limit to how much I can bring back?

Yes. You can bring up to $800 worth of duty-free goods back to the U.S. without paying additional fees. The $800 allotment is per person. So if you’re traveling with kids, they also can bring back $800 worth of merchandise.

How do I know if I am getting a good deal?

By knowing the average retail price of the items you are interested in before you set sail, you will immediately be able to discern if your duty-free items are a good deal. A helpful travel website; Duty-Free Addict, compares duty-free prices online.

Watch for sales listed in the daily cruise newsletter and “trunk sales” as well — these flash sales offer great prices, especially on gemstones and fine jewelry. The best part about shopping onboard a cruise ship is the price you see is the price you pay. There are no additional taxes added on.

What duty-free items should I buy?

Now is the time to buy those rare gemstones or that fancy watch you’ve been eying. Fragrance, cosmetics, designer handbags, alcohol, and cigarettes are the most purchased duty-free items.

Cruise companies profile passengers. Most likely, the stores on board already fit your personality. Couple this with great prices and duty-free merchandise and savvy shoppers can typically score some great deals.