This September, we’re sailing Norwegian Breakaway round-trip from Boston on a Canada & New England itinerary, with stops in Portland, Bar Harbor, Halifax, and Saint John. The ports are new to us, and unlike some trips where we already know exactly what we want to do, we’re still working through the possibilities. That is intentional….
Our DIY visit to Mendenhall Glacier and Nugget Falls cost about $110 total for four people, including tips. That sounds like a pretty convincing argument for skipping a ship excursion. It isn’t quite that simple. Before our Norwegian Encore Alaska cruise, we briefly looked at the excursion choices for Mendenhall. There was a wide range—from…
The White Pass Scenic Railway was one of the few paid excursions we knew we wanted to do on our Norwegian Encore Alaska cruise. We booked a noon departure, and that ended up being a really good fit for the kind of Skagway day we wanted. Instead of setting an alarm and rushing off the…
Updated July 19, 2026: We’ve refreshed this article with a clearer way to separate the booking price from the full trip cost, current guidance on service charges and package add-ons, and a real planning example from our upcoming Norwegian Encore Alaska cruise. A cruise can be one of the easier vacations to budget because lodging,…
Alaska is one of the easiest cruise destinations to overspend on before the ship ever leaves the first port. Whale watching, helicopter rides, glacier landings, dog sledding, scenic railways, floatplanes, fishing trips, wildlife tours, and “best of” packages can all sound like essential parts of the experience. When several excursions cost hundreds of dollars per…
Alaska is one of the best cruise destinations for wildlife, but that does not mean every sailing includes a perfectly timed whale breach, a bear catching a salmon, and a bald eagle posing beside the ship. Wildlife sightings are unpredictable. Some happen during a dedicated excursion. Others happen while the ship is entering port, sitting…
Updated June 26, 2026: We’ve refreshed this article with examples from our own cruise planning, including why we chose a Regal Princess Northern Europe cruise for timing and value, and how watching prices after booking helped us move from a Balcony cabin to a Club Balcony cabin on an NCL Escape sailing. How to Plan…
Greenock is the cruise port many British Isles itineraries use for Glasgow, but it is not the same as docking in the middle of Glasgow. That difference matters. This is one of those ports where the best plan depends on what kind of Scotland day you want. You can turn it into a DIY Glasgow…
Updated June 15, 2026: We refreshed this article with current information, updated links, and additional planning notes. Edinburgh is one of the most exciting stops on a British Isles cruise, but it comes with one planning detail that matters right away: your itinerary may say Edinburgh / South Queensferry, not simply Edinburgh. That matters because…
A British Isles cruise on Majestic Princess is not the same kind of trip as a warm-weather cruise where the pool deck, beaches, and sunny port days are the main focus. This kind of itinerary feels more like a European sightseeing trip by ship. You board in Southampton, unpack once, and use the ship as…
