Site active since July 2025
Updated January 6, 2026
Over 40 pages of info and photos - with daily updates during cruises.
Next cruise - 1/5/26 - Utopia of the Seas 4 night, followed (“back-to-back”) by a 3 night cruise on Utopia
Recent Cruise Summaries
Our 6th Utopia voyage: 12/22-12/26/25
Our first cruise on a Holland America ship: 12/6-12/13/25.
STAR of the Seas - World’s Largest Cruise Ship!!
- Sailed November 16-23, 2025
Below, the “Pearl” is the centerpiece of action on the Promenade Level. See more about the ship via the link above.
What is this?
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We began this website in July 2025, to share our experiences and insights, gained over a period of years, on different cruise lines and ships.
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Every cruise offers a new opportunity - to learn and compare.
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We will share our personal experiences, tips and recommendations - both positive and negative - with the goal of helping you become… “Informed Cruisers.”
Who We Are
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Greg McDowell and May Aston, happily married over 22 years
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Cruising to see the world, experience new cultures and enjoy the ship lifestyle, since 2010
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Lifetime: At year-end 2025, 47 cruises on 5 cruise lines, over 350 nights
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2025: 18 cruises totaling over 100 nights
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2026: 9 cruises booked for 56 nights
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Norwegian (NCL) early on; Royal Caribbean (RC) focus last few years, enjoying benefits of loyalty status
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Celebrity, Princess and Holland America in recent years
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Many Caribbean voyages, 3-9 days each
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Several 10-15 day TransAtlantic voyages, east (3x) and west (4x); Eastbound scheduled for April 2026 (Royal Caribbean)
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We’ve cruised Australia, Asia, Alaska and Canada
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Hoping to cruise monthly, with extended non-jet lag adventures to (or from) Europe, far into the future
Select Cruise Ship Reviews - Links
September 2025 - Anthem of the Seas
Alaska Voyage from Seattle: This was our second cruise on the Anthem, having completed a Transpacific sailing in May 2025. .
August 2025 - Star of the Seas
See Ship Review for a quick summary of this 3 day Shakedown.