Who is this man of moose-tery who has been with the Mates of Cruise since the beginning of time? Does his real name matter? Not to us, he has always been Kuki - it rhymes with "pookie". (If you must know more, visit his profile).
Will you know him instantly whence you finally meet? Only if he is spotted in his native habitat, the cruise ship blackjack tables or sitting by the pool in a tanktop. But be forewarned, as he just might be in disguise, working as your waiter, your blackjack dealer, or even your butler!
Kuki's Blog Update!
Cruise Brand Loyalists
It is almost comical how far some cruisers will go to prove their choice in cruise lines is the best.
6-4-13
Kuki's Blog Update!
Carnival � Floundering Or Rebounding
My own perspective is Carnival offers excellent value for the dollars spent on a cruise ticket.
5-28-13
Kuki's Blog Update!
Memories Of Golf Legend Ken Venturi
Ken truly enjoyed sharing all of his golf and life stories as a lecturer on Crystal ships.
5-21-13
Kuki's Blog Update!
Who's A Cruise Expert?
It amazes me how so many people can tell you exactly how many cruises they�ve been on.
5-14-13
Kuki's Blog Update!
Everyone Should Pay Their Fair Share
One of quickest means to ruining a good relationship can be disagreements over money.
5-7-13
Kuki's Blog Update!
How's The Weather In�In�?
Cruise anticipation is a very unique feeling. It�s unusual because while �it�s only� a vacation, its affects are physical as well as psychological.
4-30-13
Kuki's Blog Update!
The 4 Big Mistakes To Avoid
�Ship happens�, but there are a few simple things you can do to avoid the most common blunders.
4-23-13
Kuki's Blog Update!
One Size Does Not Fit All
It's surprising how many will book a cruise based almost entirely on a little amount of information.
4-16-13
Kuki's Blog Update!
You Shouldn't Cruise
You have to be kidding me! was my reaction this past week when I was told this cruise advice. 4-9-13
Kuki's Blog Update!
Surprises That Await You
For first time cruisers there are many things which are going to surprise you. 4-2-13
Kuki's Blog Update!
Why River Cruising Is Gaining
River cruising is "THE hot thing" in cruising right now, and I don't expect that trend to be short lived 3-26-13
Kuki's Blog Update!
Repositioning Season To Begin
the time when some of the best per Diem rates of the year appear 3-19-13
Kuki's Blog Update!
Cruise Ships Attract Whales
You don't have to be sailing on a ship off of the coast of Maui to see whales. 3-12-13
Kuki's Blog Update!
Cabin Categories Can Confuse
That cabin choice will have a lot to do with your enjoyment of your cruise.
3-5-13
Kuki's Blog Update!
Travel Agents and Cruise Lines
there is NO charge to the consumer to use the services of a travel agent when booking a cruise. 2-19-13
There were over 20 MILLION cases of Norovirus reported in the United States last year and just about the same number of cruises were taken worldwide. Go> 1-15-12
While price is certainly and understandable criteria for making your choice, I'd like to try and put it in perspective with some discussion of other criteria. Go> 11-27-12
Relaxing dress codes, weight restrictions and fees by the airlines and self disembarkation have significantly reduced the amount of cruise luggage. Go> 11-20-12
Honestly, there is no way to specifically identify the demographic of every cruise line, on every itinerary, though I do think it's a question cruisers wonder about before they cruise.Go> 10-02-12
People get sick on land, and people get sick on cruise ships. People get sick on land, and recover, and people get sick on cruise ships, and recover.. Go> 07-24-12
Carnival Breeze. As far as I'm concerned that is one of the best names ever for a ship in today's cruise industry. I hear the name Carnival ... Go> 06-13-12
Hurricane season is upon us. Hurricane season "officially" began June 1, and runs through November. This year's hurricane season activity is predicted to be below "normal" or "average", but of course ... Go> 06-06-12
This week an article by Associate Press talked about how the airlines are considering charging additional fees if family members flying together want to insure they ... Go> 05-30-12
Thankfully during the course of our lives we have many life events we celebrate. The celebration of many of those life events are easily arranged and ... Go> 05-23-12
To those who haven't been watching, there's been a sea change in suggested dress codes, and what is considered acceptable attire, on board an ever expanding list ... Go> 05-16-12
Ever since travel by cruise ship evolved into "cruising", as we know it today, there have been hundreds of thousands of words written, as helpful information, ... Go> 05-09-12
In these still tough economic times there's few people who don't look to get excellent value for each and every dollar they spend. And this holds ... Go> 05-02-12
While I always prefer to head to my port of embarkation a night prior to sailing, there are some are some ports of embarkation/disembarkation where more than ... Go> 04-25-12
Flying PHX (Phoenix Sky Harbor) to YYC (Calgary International) direct non-stop; flying time 2:38 minutes. It sounds simple and easy enough, right? Admittedly, I am a pathetic ... Go> 04-18-12
A very significant portion of the cruise industry these days view their target audience to be families. It's rather obvious if you look at their marketing, as ... Go> 04-04-12
In 2013 Princess Cruise Line will debut it's newest cruise ship; Royal Princess. At 141,000 gross tons, and capable of carrying 3800 passengers, she will in fact be the 3rd ship to ... Go> 03-28-12
At least in terms of "Caribbean cruising", the main stream contemporary cruise lines have always felt their #1 competition came from sea-side all inclusive land based resorts. The ... Go> 03-21-12
You'll have to forgive the sensationalistic headline. I don't really believe that sexism is rampant throughout the cruise industry. But...I do think the value of the feminine ... Go> 03-14-12
With literally hundreds of media outlets covering the cruise industry with almost microscopic coverage, there are very few secrets about the industry that are unexposed. However, in ... Go> 03-07-12
From step 1- choosing a cruise, to booking a cruise, to preparing for your cruise, to shipboard activities, to port of call tours, though it may seem complicated, cruising ... Go> 02-29-12
Theme cruises have become a significant part of the cruise industry. There are all variety of music cruises; from rock and roll legends cruises, to smooth ... Go> 02-22-12
While every type of business depends on repeat business, I believe there are few with such a loyal customer base as cruising. On virtually every ... Go> 02-15-12
Winter comes and cruisers minds turn to escaping to the warmth of the Caribbean. That statement has been true for many years, and continues to be ... Go> 02-08-12
On Jan. 26, 2012, in the United States, it became law that in the interests of public transparency, airlines publish pricing which includes all taxes. This law allows the people searching ... Go> 02-01-12
Note: This blog post (below) was written prior to the Costa Corcordia tragedy, and originally intended to run last week. I held it back a week ... Go> 01-25-12
I originally wrote a blog on a different topic for today, but due to the tragic events involving the Costa Concordia this past week, I've chosen ... Go> 01-18-12
Over the years we've had quite a number of CruiseMates Group Cruises. They're all great fun because of the comraderie, and the fun events that the ...Go> 01-11-12
People who have cruised previously are quite likely the #1 reason new people choose to cruise for the first time. Whether it's family members pushing you to join them ...Go> 01-04-12
In a few days we'll all be saying goodbye to 2011 and in an evening full of revelry, nostalgia, and excitement, we'll be welcoming in the ...Go> 12-28-11
When it comes to money matters, it's not cruise pricing that settles the equation of how much your cruise is going to cost you. One might have ...
Go> 12-21-11
Through my unscientific research, and very questionable systemic anaylsis, we learn that only the top 1% of the population has the means, or contacts necessary, to sail in ...
Go> 12-14-11
Beginning with new rules, established to come into practice in the new year, most of the major cruise lines, have severely restricted or banned smoking in ...
Go> 12-07-11
This week is Thanksgiving in the United States; the first major holiday of the season. In my view it's also the best U.S. holiday in that it's all about ...
Go> 11-23-11
During the last half decade the nature of cruise ship dining has changed. With the introduction of ship's offering a variety of alternate dining venues the ...
Go> 11-16-11
Converstion is probably one of the most popular activities on a ship. Everyone is on vacation, and the atmosphere is always very social. But, there are ...
Go> 11-09-11
I recently received a press release (posted below) that describes a very innovative way for people to tour a city they are visiting in what I ...
Go> 11-02-11
As millions of people spent the past weekend preparing and then dealing with Hurricane Irene up and down the east coast of the United States, the ...
Go> 8-31-11
As early as a decade ago, when boarding a cruise ship, your choices for dining were early (main) seating in the dining room, or late seating ...
Go> 8-17-11
Those new to cruising, and even those with a few other cruises under their belts, often look to the Internet, searching through and sifting through cruise ...
Go> 7-27-11
Veteran, or even recent past cruisers, will remember when requests from guests for a tour of the ship's Bridge were met with a grimaced face reply ...
Go> 8-3-11
Beginning in the mid 1970's through to 1983 I spent anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months spending my winter vacation time in the Hawaiian Islands...
Go> 7-27-11
One aspect of my job at CruiseMates that I really enjoy is choosing ships and itineraries for our CruiseMates Group Cruises. And when this particular ship and itinerary were brought to my attention I couldn't say yes to it fast enough...
Go> 7-19-11
Last week, within days of each other, all the cruise lines under the Carnival Corporation umbrella announced new policies dramatically restricting where smoking will be allowed on their ships. These new policies are fairly similar...
Go> 6-28-11
We used to be funny. I can still remember the days when we had a pretty good sense of humor. We used to find humor in almost anything that happened, and could generally find a way to relate what it was we found funny about...
Go> 6-21-11
It wasn't so long ago that the cruise lines didn't have anything at all to do with selling passengers shore excursions. The sale of shore excursions to guests, and the "shopping talks"; recommending stores in ports of call were left... Go> 6-14-11
In the techno world we live in, where for some strange reason everyone thinks they have to be available and connected no matter where they are; along with the phenomena of people feeling they have to notify all the people...
Go> 6-7-11
Don't allow fear of what might happen to dictate your activities; to end your sense of adventure and exploration. Just do what you do with your brain turned on.
Go> 6-1-11
A few years back I was interviewing a Hotel Manager onboard a Royal Caribbean ship. He recalled the story of passenger complaint, when a passenger came to see him, after the ship had to skip a scheduled port...
Go> 5-24-11
Crystal Cruise's Special Interest Lecturer – Ken Venturi – is a world-famous golf expert we met on Crystal last month. Ken Venturi played his very first full 18 golf game at Harding Park Club, in San Francisco, at age 13... Go> 5-20-11
Sunday, April 24 I board the Crystal Symphony in Los Angeles, California to soak up 14 days of Crystal luxury, while sailing to the Hawaiian Islands, and returning to California. I am a Crystal Virgin (which I happen to think would...
Go> 4-19-11
Cruising is consistently given the highest satisfaction ratings of any vacation by consumer's post vacation evaluations. Even considering that fact there are those who voice complaints about particular aspects of their cruise experience... Go> 4-12-11
For many first time cruisers, after they've booked their first cruise they suffer more anxiety about their upcoming cruise, and worry more about what they don't know about what awaits them than when they were deciding which cruise to take...
Go> 4-5-11
Anyone who has ever cruised knows the crew on ships work extremely hard. The crew on most cruise ships is comprised of a multinational group of people from countries all over the globe; mostly countries where the average annual income...
Go> 3-29-11
No doubt, like most everyone, every time you spend money you want to feel satisfied you got value for your money. There isn't much that can make us as irritated as feeling as though we've spent our hard earned money, and got... Go> 3-22-11
When the use of email became commonplace, the emergence of unsolicited junk mail has given the canned meat of the same name a bad name. One definition of electronic spam – "flooding the Internet with many copies of the same message... Go> 3-14-11
We're presently onboard the Sapphire Princess, sailing to the Hawaiian Islands. Follow along with our daily reporting and enjoy the cruise with us. Feel free to ask any questions during the sailing, and I'll do my best to get answers.
Go> 2-26-11
The time prior to going on your first cruise can be very intimidating. It can seem like there's so much a person needs to know, and there's seems to be an unlimited number of places to find the information.
Go> 2-22-11
By happenstance, in ten days I begin a combination of journeys that should make for some interesting experiences and comparisons. Within a short time frame I'll be cruising two different ships; both sailing identical 14 night itineraries from San Pedro, California to the Hawaiian Islands and returning to San Pedro.
Go> 2-15-11
Sometimes they are referred to as "specialty restaurants"; some refer to them as "alternate restaurants". On some cruise lines, they are included in the cruise fare; on some there is an extra cost to dine in them; on some lines there are both free, and extra cost choices.
Go> 2-8-11
For some time now life has been on the move to becoming more casual. While it used to somewhat normal to run into the occasional restaurant that required all male customers wear at least a sports jacket and tie, those places have now practically disappeared.
Go> 2-1-11
Not many things in life stay the same. Sometimes the changes delight us, and sometimes we regret the changes. The world of cruising has certainly changed quite dramatically. Should we be delighted or discouraged?
Go> 1-25-11
With apologies to Jeff Foxworthy; along with some help from members of our CruiseMates message boards, I've created a "foxworthyesque" list of You Know You're a Cruiser When...
Go> 1-18-11
There's been hundreds of industry experts offer their explanations and musings on the topic, as well as thousands of experiences and opinions posted on the cruise information web sites
Go> 1-11-11
While all cruise line's advertising, at some time, will refer to themselves as a "luxury cruise", it's a simple process to determine, and recognize a true "luxury cruise" from all the other pretenders.
Go> 1-04-11
Almost every cruise line has had children's programs, with areas devoted to keeping "the kids" entertained, employing kids counselors and programming to interest and challenge them.
Go> 12-14-10
Recently, at dinner out with friends, Mrs. Kuki mentioned she hadn't been on a cruise in two years, and commented that she was missing it.
Go> 11-30-10
Earlier this month the Carnival Splendor suffered an engine room fire which somehow left the ship adrift and powerless, other than that supplied by the emergency generators onboard.
Go> 11-23-10
Amazingly one can find many people who've booked a cruise and when asked don't know what ship they are going on, or what ports of call they'll be visiting. They may know the name of the cruise line, and when asked where they are going may be just as likely to simply say "the Caribbean".
Go> 11-16-10
I get an incredible amount of email asking questions. Some are relatively simple to answer. Others require much more thought. I probably get 1000 emails each year asking for a job on "my ship". My answer is "Oh how I wish I had a ship".
Go> 11-9-10
Last week Royal Caribbean (who'd already been doing with business with Starbucks via their Seattle's Best coffee brand) announced that Starbucks would have a "store" on the soon to debut Allure of the Seas.
Go> 11-2-10
Over a decade ago, when I first began writing for CruiseMates, it seemed many of our visitors were using the site, and other cruise related web sites on the Internet, not just for content, but also for tips on how and where to find the best deals on cruises.
Go> 10-26-10
Recent history in the cruise industry has seen hundreds, if not thousands of articles written about all variety of innovations and improvements to the industry. In many cases one cruise line would take their chance with a new idea, and if the other cruise lines had even an inkling that the idea might be popular, they would...
Go> 9-28-10
Somewhere along the line "that day" came for all us; when we were ready to stand in front of a mirror and admit that we are addicted to cruising.
Go> 9-21-10
The vast majority of people who go on cruises fill out their guest comment cards at the end of their cruise sending the cruise lines a message that they believe they received good or excellent value from their cruise vacation.
Go> 9-14-10
Confucius was a well known. ancient Chinese thinker, and philosopher. Over the years, no doubt we've all heard various "confuciusionisms". But you're less likely to have previously come across what Confucius said about cruising.
Go> 9-7-10
If we really think about it, anyone over the age of six should realize nothing is perfect. Mrs. Kuki has stuck with me for almost 30 years, and she can most certainly attest to that fact
Go> 8-31-10
I've been fortunate and have more than 60 cruises "under my belt", yet there's many areas of the world I've yet to visit, that are on my "bucket list". At the same time I've already visited some fabulous cities, and I've compiled my list of favorites here.
Go> 8-24-10
This month marks 11 years since I was hired on as a writer for CruiseMates.com. Over the years many people have asked how I ever got this gig.
Go> 8-17-10
This month marks 11 years since I was hired on as a writer for CruiseMates.com. Over the years many people have asked how I ever got this gig.
Go> 8-3-10
As cruise enthusiasts, and also cruise travel writers, it's somewhat natural that we wait with baited-breath, or any trickle of news and/or pictures, or even artists renderings of new ships as they near completion.
Go> 7-13-10
On Deck for the Cure is a program done in conjunction with the Susan B. Komen for the Cure Foundation, to allow cruise passengers, who choose, to participate in raising funds.
Go> 7-6-10
On July 2, I fly overseas for my second trip to a shipyard. My first visit was for a keel-laying ceremony in France. This time I am headed to the Fincantieris Marghera shipyard in Italy to board the just completed Nieuw Amsterdam from Holland America Cruise Line.
Go> 6-29-10
In Part 1 I hopefully helped you through the booking process, so presuming you're booked, and have purchased the Travel Insurance, what's next in your planning agenda?
Go> 6-22-10
Who would have ever thought that within two days of my last Blog about "Deceit in a phone call from my Carnival Personal Vacation Planner" a story about much more nefarious activities; breaking into client's homes to rob them, by a Royal Caribbean Vacation Planner, would dominate the cruise news.
Go> 6-15-10
It's interesting that I would get a phone call from "my" Carnival PVP, when I have never booked a cruise directly through Carnival cruise line, nor have I ever called to even ask for a price quote on a Carnival cruise.
Go> 6-8-10
Once you get onboard a ship for your cruise, you can almost turn off your mind if you want to, and enjoy things as they come. However, to get to that point, there are things you can, and probably should do as basic preparation for your cruise.
Go> 6-1-10
In the coming weeks three new ships will be christened and set sail, surely delighting passengers who sail them. They are three very different ships, and really from three different worlds.
Go> 5-26-10
With the April 25 sailing, and with a few "teething pains", Holland America's Veendam began it's first series of sailings to Bermuda in over 20 years. The itinerary include a 1 day port stop-over anchored off of the shore of St. George, as well as 2 � days docked right along Front Street, in Hamilton.
Go> 5-18-10
It's been several years since I've sailed on a "dam" ship. So now it's time to check back in with HAL after their Signature of Excellence upgrades have been completed, and they're just about ready to sail out the newest addition to the fleet, the Nieuw Amsterdam.
Go> 5-4-10
Let's make it clear from the beginning; I believe EVERYONE who books a cruise should use a professional Cruise Travel Agent. Whether you are a first time cruiser, or a veteran cruiser (like me, who thinks you know all you need to know), your interests are going to be best served by doing so.
Go> 4-27-10
People often the lament about what's gone missing from the "good old days" of cruising. But do many of us even have an idea of what the "good old days" of cruising means, or when it was?
Go> 4-20-10
At CruiseMates we have a message board titled Cruise Gripes; giving people a place to post and vent regarding issues they may have experience on their cruises.
Go> 4-13-10
Last week Holland America joined the ranks of some cruise lines implementing a restrictive "flat pricing" policy for travel agents selling their cruises.
Go> 4-6-10
Combine The Blue Man Group, Cirque Productions, Legends in Concert, Second City Comedy Troupe, Celebrity Chef Matt Sigel, Halloween, Linda with all my CruiseMates friends, and what do you have?
Go> 9-30-10
According to the A.C. Nielsen Co., the average American watches more than 4 hours of TV each day (or 28 hours/week, or 2 months of nonstop TV-watching per year). In a 65-year life, that person will have spent 9 years glued to the tube.
Go> 9-23-10
During the course of my day at Seatrade- Cruise Shipping Miami Conference- I visited the booth of Ving Card, one of the major suppliers of door locking systems for the cruise lines, along with identity recognition equipment.
Go> 9-16-10
I may be the only writer in the cruise industry who isn't salivating, in anticipation of the arrival or Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas.
Go> 9-8-10
Admittedly golf might not be the first thing to come to people's minds when they are considering their cruise vacations, and choosing which itinerary they might want to sail. But, devoted golfers are a bit of a strange breed.
Go> 7-21-10
Ever since "way back when" I've had a fear of flying. They have me as soon as we pull up to the airport. What were they thinking making me look at a large sign declaring "TERMINAL" ?
Go> 7-14-10
This past week I met, and had a discussion with someone who's never been on a cruise. When I meet a non-cruiser, and they find out I write about cruising they normally start asking questions.
Go> 7-7-10
In last week's Blog we talked about the "Demise of Traditional Cruise Dining", and included some discussion of the moves being made within the industry that I viewed as moving closer to a amusement park or resort mentality/atmosphere onboard.
Go> 6-30-10
Over the weekend Celebrity Cruise Line became one of the last hold-outs amongst the major cruise lines to amend their dining room arrangements to include a version of "unstructured" dining times ,rather than assigned times and specific table seating assignments for passengers.
Go> 6-23-10
The subject of choosing a cruise that's right for you may be one of the most covered topics for cruise related web sites, and cruise advice columns.
Go> 6-16-10
We admittedly live in rather odd times, with continuous bombardment from the media on troubling world and local events; the all too familiar issuing of Amber Alerts for missing children;, dysfunctional families with issuing leading to tragedies which unfold in the public eye; job loss and other financial factors making a mess of people's lives, plans and dreams.
Go> 6-9-10
The Caribbean is the most heavily cruised area of the world, and that's most likely to continue in the near future as more cruise lines are leaving more ships to sail the Caribbean waters for longer portions of the year.
Go> 6-2-10
Normally most of us (the cruise addicted) are very proud of our affliction. We don't waste our valuable cruise dollars on psychiatrists or mood altering medication because we know all we need to keep us happy is to have a countdown clock set for our next cruise; the shorter the countdown the happier we are.
Go> 5-26-10
The cruise industry is just coming out of the tumultuous efforts required to deal with the threats from the N1H1 (swine flu) Virus, and prior to that the hullabaloo caused by the outing of Royal Caribbean's "Royal Champs" viral marketing campaign.
Go> 5-19-10
As my job is to follow and write about the cruise industry one might naturally assume I am an advocate for the industry. And it's true in many ways. I am most certainly a fan of cruise vacations as I believe a cruise could easily be considered the best valued vacation purchase you can make
Go> 5-11-10
When we were married I had promised Mrs. Kuki a cruise to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary. I had managed to avoid that commitment until our 14th anniversary. I finally caved in, and booked
Go> 5-4-10
On my Blog last week I answered one of the questions I'm most often asked. I thought I'd continue in that vein this week with the question I hear all the time... What's Your Favorite Cruise Line?
Go> 4-28-10
These days, in most cases when boarding a ship you'll find over 60% of the passengers onboard are repeat customers of that cruise line. I had always considered cruisers to be somewhat of an adventurous breed, and this seemingly high percentage of passengers returning over and over to the same cruise line seems to belie that idea...
Go> 4-21-10
These days, in most cases when boarding a ship you'll find over 60% of the passengers onboard are repeat customers of that cruise line. I had always considered cruisers to be somewhat of an adventurous breed, and this seemingly high percentage of passengers returning over and over to the same cruise line seems to belie that idea...
Go> 4-14-10
The latest catch phrase in the cruise industry seems to be "a ship within a ship". The phrase is used to describe more upscale cabin categories and amenities the cruise lines are trying to develop to attract those who are willing to pay extra for not only larger chunks of the real estate
Go> 4-8-10
I'm wondering now if Royal Caribbean Cruise Line is also attempting to swim upstream.
Economists throughout the planet have pretty much agreed the world economy is fragile at best...
Go> 03-31-10
Originally when cruise ships began offering shore excursions for their guests, in most cases they were the responsibility of the ships Cruise Directors.
Go> 03-24-10
And Does It Influence Your Post Cruise Feedback? A cruise is what you make it. I've often seen that phrase used on the message boards, particularly when someone has posted a less than glowing report about their cruise experience.
Go> 03-17-10
While it's not likely the primary reason people choose to cruise, the social life you encounter once at sea probably has a lot to do with your enjoyment of the cruise,though it may not immediately come to mind as being all that significant.
Go> 03-10-09
Traditionally Travel Agent's earnings have been based on commissions paid by cruise lines as compensation for selling their product; cruises.
Go> 03-2-10
Just as in the world of communications and technology the world of cruising has advanced in many ways over the last several years as well.
Go> 02-23-10
Several weeks ago in my Blog I talked about "Things That Cost Extra". I thought I should follow up now with some realistic tips on how you can save money on those things.
Go> 02-16-10
You're getting ready to book your cruise and you find it just happens to be time for the "Sailaway Sale of Savings Lowest Prices of the Year or Ever Sale of the Century"
Go> 02-9-10
Over the years there's been hundreds, if not thousands, of articles and lists written talking about what everyone should know before they cruise.
Go> 01-26-10
You've received a quote on your cruise that you can live with, and fit into your budget, and you're ready to book. But let's stop for a minute and think about what your final dollar outlay might look like by the end of your cruise.
Go> 01-21-10
One very prominent, and indeed important part of the Internet has become user reviews. In fact there are web sites valued at hundreds of millions of dollars where 100 % of the content on the sites is provided by users.
Go> 01-12-10
Over my years writing for CruiseMates I've always recommended people do research, more research, and more research before they cruise, or as importantly, before they even book a cruise.
Go> 01-05-10
With the end of year tomorrow, the title phrase of this blog will pass the lips of millions of people; A rather natural expression of sentiment, as looking to the future supplies us the hope for the future, that everything will get better.
Go> 12-30-09
It wasn't long ago I remember quite clearly all the concern about what was going to happen cruise ships (and the world) with the worries of Y2K, and the chaos it would create.
Go> 12-15-09
It seems a very large number of first time cruisers take their first "dip in the pool" by booking a cruise that's either 2,3,4 or 5 day cruises.
Go> 12-08-09
Last week the Norwegian Dawn lost all power in the midst of a cruise. They were able to restore minimal power and get the ship (and passengers) to San Juan, Puerto Rico to effect repairs,
Go> 12-01-09
The "holiday season" officially kicks off this Friday, with Thanksgiving in the United States (though with the advertising we've seen this year you'd have thought Christmas ran from October to December).
Go> 11-24-09
I'm obviously talking to cruisers here. Since I'm writing for a Cruise Guide, it's likely the majority of people reading this entry will be cruisers.
Go> 11-17-09
Over the past decade at CruiseMates I've been asked all sorts of questions about cruising, both via message board posts, and private emails. Do you know what the most difficult question to answer is?
Go> 10-20-09
Though there have been a few hiccups along the way, since Sept. 11/01 the price of cruises have quite consistently floated near historic lows; the latest drops beginning this past year as the world economies battled recession.
Go> 10-13-09
For the past 10 years we at CruiseMates have offered from 3 to 5 group cruises a year to help facilitate members of our community cruising together; getting to meet and make great memories together.
Go> 9-29-09
There's all variety of packing lists available on the Internet, including on the CruiseMates web site. So, this is not a packing list. Rather it's a conglomeration of things everyone should take with them, along with their packing lists.
Go> 9-22-09
Two weeks ago I wrote a blog stating cruiser's needed to take more responsibility for themselves particularly in regard to purchasing travel insurance to cover unforeseen problems. This week's blog entry is somewhat the opposite of that;
Go> 9-15-09
I may be the only writer in the cruise industry who isn't salivating, in anticipation of the arrival or Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas.
Go> 9-8-09
Admittedly golf might not be the first thing to come to people's minds when they are considering their cruise vacations, and choosing which itinerary they might want to sail. But, devoted golfers are a bit of a strange breed.
Go> 7-21-09
Ever since "way back when" I've had a fear of flying. They have me as soon as we pull up to the airport. What were they thinking making me look at a large sign declaring "TERMINAL" ?
Go> 7-14-09
This past week I met, and had a discussion with someone who's never been on a cruise. When I meet a non-cruiser, and they find out I write about cruising they normally start asking questions.
Go> 7-7-09
In last week's Blog we talked about the "Demise of Traditional Cruise Dining", and included some discussion of the moves being made within the industry that I viewed as moving closer to a amusement park or resort mentality/atmosphere onboard.
Go> 6-30-09
Over the weekend Celebrity Cruise Line became one of the last hold-outs amongst the major cruise lines to amend their dining room arrangements to include a version of "unstructured" dining times ,rather than assigned times and specific table seating assignments for passengers.
Go> 6-23-09
The subject of choosing a cruise that's right for you may be one of the most covered topics for cruise related web sites, and cruise advice columns.
Go> 6-16-09
We admittedly live in rather odd times, with continuous bombardment from the media on troubling world and local events; the all too familiar issuing of Amber Alerts for missing children;, dysfunctional families with issuing leading to tragedies which unfold in the public eye; job loss and other financial factors making a mess of people's lives, plans and dreams.
Go> 6-9-09
The Caribbean is the most heavily cruised area of the world, and that's most likely to continue in the near future as more cruise lines are leaving more ships to sail the Caribbean waters for longer portions of the year.
Go> 6-2-09
Normally most of us (the cruise addicted) are very proud of our affliction. We don't waste our valuable cruise dollars on psychiatrists or mood altering medication because we know all we need to keep us happy is to have a countdown clock set for our next cruise; the shorter the countdown the happier we are.
Go> 5-26-09
The cruise industry is just coming out of the tumultuous efforts required to deal with the threats from the N1H1 (swine flu) Virus, and prior to that the hullabaloo caused by the outing of Royal Caribbean's "Royal Champs" viral marketing campaign.
Go> 5-19-09
As my job is to follow and write about the cruise industry one might naturally assume I am an advocate for the industry. And it's true in many ways. I am most certainly a fan of cruise vacations as I believe a cruise could easily be considered the best valued vacation purchase you can make
Go> 5-11-09
When we were married I had promised Mrs. Kuki a cruise to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary. I had managed to avoid that commitment until our 14th anniversary. I finally caved in, and booked
Go> 5-4-09
On my Blog last week I answered one of the questions I'm most often asked. I thought I'd continue in that vein this week with the question I hear all the time... What's Your Favorite Cruise Line?
Go> 4-28-09
These days, in most cases when boarding a ship you'll find over 60% of the passengers onboard are repeat customers of that cruise line. I had always considered cruisers to be somewhat of an adventurous breed, and this seemingly high percentage of passengers returning over and over to the same cruise line seems to belie that idea...
Go> 4-21-09
These days, in most cases when boarding a ship you'll find over 60% of the passengers onboard are repeat customers of that cruise line. I had always considered cruisers to be somewhat of an adventurous breed, and this seemingly high percentage of passengers returning over and over to the same cruise line seems to belie that idea...
Go> 4-14-09
The latest catch phrase in the cruise industry seems to be "a ship within a ship". The phrase is used to describe more upscale cabin categories and amenities the cruise lines are trying to develop to attract those who are willing to pay extra for not only larger chunks of the real estate
Go> 4-8-09
I'm wondering now if Royal Caribbean Cruise Line is also attempting to swim upstream.
Economists throughout the planet have pretty much agreed the world economy is fragile at best...
Go> 03-31-09
Originally when cruise ships began offering shore excursions for their guests, in most cases they were the responsibility of the ships Cruise Directors.
Go> 03-24-09
And Does It Influence Your Post Cruise Feedback? A cruise is what you make it. I've often seen that phrase used on the message boards, particularly when someone has posted a less than glowing report about their cruise experience.
Go> 03-17-09
While it's not likely the primary reason people choose to cruise, the social life you encounter once at sea probably has a lot to do with your enjoyment of the cruise,though it may not immediately come to mind as being all that significant.
Go> 03-10-09
CruiseMates offers an all-new review for the latest NCL ship to hit the high seas - Norwegian Jade. The latest Free-style refinements come together.
Go> 5-26-08
Writing a cruise review is a great way to make your opinion known. It also helps your fellow cruisers when they are deciding on a ship for their next voyage. Here's some tips to make the process of writing your next review easy and fun!
02-20-08
Kuki sailed with the top Cruise Director and reported from the ship on a daily basis. All the weekly events of John Heald's Bloggers Cruise here.
01-19-08
Kuki updates our CruiseMates cruise ship review after a recent voyage on this popular ship. How have things changed since her christening five years ago?
01-07-08
She's bigger, bolder and more elaborate than anything else in the NCL fleet. Come aboard for a first-hand look at this fabulous new ship, the Norwegian Gem!
12-19-07
Cruise reviews can be a helpful tool for selecting your next cruise, but not all reviews are equal. Let Kuki help you separate the wheat from the chaff.
09-03-07
Things were complicated before security was boosted, now as a Canadian citizen, Kuki and others face early morning roll calls and other indiginities when entering U.S. ports.
It's easy! Find the pointy end of the ship and "port" is left. How do you know? look out a window. Which way is the water flowing? Face the opposite way, if the water isn't flowing, you are already in port.
There is no excuse for a bad cruise, as long as the cruise line fits your personal style. They all differ, and it is up to you to figure out which is best for you.
Cruise fares are still historically cheap, but the little extras can add up. Kuki offers advice on how to reduce your shipboard and shore-side expenses.
