Site active since July 2025

Updated January 30, 2026

Over 50 pages of information and photos - with at least weekly updates

Current cruise(s) - starting 1/29/26 - RC’s Explorer of the Seas, 2 cruises B2B, totaling 9 nights

Duck Hunting

  • Cruise ship phenomenon
  • Special opportunity to purchase a stained glass duck

Explorer of the Seas - embarking January 29, 2026 - our 50th!

  • Cruising 9 nights, through February 7th
  • Ship Review will be in progress during the 4 and 5 night (B2B) cruises
  • Previously cruised the Explorer in January 2010, and May 2013 out of Cape Liberty, NJ
  • Scheduled to sail the Explorer on TransAtlantic, Port Canaveral to Barcelona beginning April 23, 2026

Star vs. Utopia

Our Comparison

 

29 nights on Utopia / 10 nights on Star

Recent Cruise Summaries

“Back-to-Back” - Why cruise the same ship, consecutively?

  • We did it in June 2025 on the Jewel - 3x for a total of 10 nights
  • We did it on the Utopia in January 2026 -  7 nights split between 2 cruises (#7 and #8 Utopia voyages)
    • See the following for key aspects of the B2B experience.
  • Another B2B is on the horizon - The Explorer of the Seas - 4 and 5 night cruises.  Check back for cruise review(s) in mid-February.

Other Cruises - 2025, below and on Ship Reviews drop-down

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?

  • 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.

  • Every cruise offers a new opportunity - to learn and compare.

  • We share our personal experiences, tips and recommendations - both positive and negative - with the goal of helping you become… “Informed Cruisers.”

 

Who We Are

  • Greg McDowell and May Aston, happily married nearly 23 years

  • Cruising to see the world, experience new cultures and enjoy the cruise ship lifestyle - oceans, entertainment, dining, socializing, and ports - since 2010

    • Lifetime:  At year-end 2025, 47 cruises on 5 cruise lines, over 350 nights

      • January 2026 update - 49 cruises  

        • 2025:  18 cruises totaling over 100 nights

        • 2026:  11 cruises taken or planned for 68 nights

  • Norwegian (NCL) early on; Royal Caribbean (RC) focus last few years, enjoying benefits of loyalty status

  • Celebrity, Princess and Holland America in recent years

  • Over 30 Royal Caribbean voyages, 3-10 days each

    • Twice: back-to-back for 7-10 nights
    • A third B2B starts 1/29/26 - see Explorer of the Seas

  • Several 10-16 day TransAtlantic voyages, east (3x) and west (4x); with an Eastbound (14 nights) scheduled for April 2026

  • We’ve cruised Europe, Australia, Asia, Alaska and Canada

  • Hoping to cruise monthly, with extended non-jet lag adventures to (or from) Europe, far into the future

Cruise partners looking happily at each other

Select Cruise Ship Reviews - Links

 

November Sailings:

11/3 and 11/16

December Sailings:

12/13 and 12/22

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.