Cruise News & Clues 3.28.26

We're charting the web to uncover what’s making waves—ships, tips, and unexpected blips!

NEWS & FAQS

3/27/20264 min read

Welcome aboard our latest wave of cruise news and clues! We’ve scoured the seas of social media, cruise groups, and online articles to bring you the best of what’s making waves. With so many tips, tricks, and Q&As floating around out there, we’re here to help you navigate the chatter and find the real treasures. Let’s dive in.

Cruise News

Clues & FAQs

Disney Q&A

  • Is the food at Castaway Cay and Lookout Cay included?

    • Yes! And the fresh cut fruit is SO GOOD! And they have the ice cream machines too.

    • It is, except alcohol is extra and billed to your on-board account.

  • Is Disney transportation worth it? Do they guarantee an earlier boarding time?

    • We always take Disney transport and always get an early port arrival and boarding group. It’s also nice if you’re staying at a Disney-associated hotel, as they will handle your luggage from the hotel room to the ship. I highly recommend.

    • Taking Disney transportation got us on the ship by noon.

    • I did not use Disney transport and got a great time (noon). Disney-owned hotels are much more expensive. It may not be worth it.

    • We did it, but did not stay at a Disney-affiliated hotel. Our hotel had an airport shuttle that we used to get back to the airport, where we picked up DCL transport the next morning after flying in. A bit more effort, but the price difference was worth it for us. Still made it on the ship before 12.

Margaritaville Q&A

  • Can someone purchase more than one treasure bar credit per person?

    • You can only purchase 1 at a time. You need to keep going back into cruise control to purchase more on separate transactions.

    • Call them, and they can add as many treasure bar credits as you want

MSC Q&A

  • Does complimentary dining in the MDR have to be booked?

    • No need or ability to book. Set times are assigned, anytime is open seating you just show up for.

    • Your dining time will be on your boarding pass, if you want to change it, you can speak to them onboard.

NCL Q&A

  • I’m reading reviews that say you can ask to have a coffee pot and coffee brought to your room. I’m assuming it’s a small pod style coffee maker? Anyone ever do this?

    • Yes, it’s a single cup pod machine.

    • Yes we had one on our Alaskan cruise. Our steward kept us replenished in coffee, creamer & sugar. Very handy.

  • In the ocean view rooms, can you open the window(portal)?

    • No, the ocean view windows do not open, but you do get great views of the ocean. You either get a port hole window or a picture window.

Royal Q&A

  • Am I crazy for booking a cruise during hurricane season?

    • FL resident here. I travel through every month of hurricane season every year, multiple times a month. There is no issue. They will divert as necessary and you will be safe. You may miss or change ports but that’s the extent. I’d rather be on a ship than at my house with potential of no AC or electricity.

    • Get travel insurance.

    • They divert to maintain safety . We’ve had it happen more than once & no issues.

    • I booked September 2025, going to Bermuda from Cape Liberty, never again.

    • In hurricane season, we wind up in Canada, running from the storm. The seas were rough. It was cold. Some people were mad because they only had summer clothes.

    • First time I ever got sick.

    • I ended up with a 10-day cruise instead of a planned 7-day, it was awesome!!

    • We cruised during Hurricane Milton. Our 4-night cruise turned into a 6-night cruise, but that was the only “issue.” We were safe the whole time. Cruise lines know what to do in these cases.

  • What outlets /adapters are allowed?

    • Basically, you can’t convert one ac plug into more than one ac plug.

    • You can have as many USB ports as you wish but only one outlet.

    • You can plug in an adapter that. has ONE plug port plus several USB ports. Or multiple USB ports only. It’s anything with more that one plug in that is not allowed.

Viking Q&A

  • Does Viking use a key card or wrist band as key?

    • Key card

Virgin Q&A

  • I wasn’t able to get any restaurants booked. Where do we go once we board to get restaurants booked?

    • They had a bunch of crew helping with this in the terminal right before boarding.

    • Often, there will be an area set up right when you board.

    • Go to Razzle Dazzle right away.

Please remember, the above Q&A are what cruisers have posted on social media forums. Facts, opinions, charges, policies, etc., may change. Please refer to your specific cruise line or your travel agent to receive the most up-to-date and accurate information.

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