When it comes to seeking out information on their upcoming voyages, cruisers have a whole lot of options. Most are literally at their fingertips, given the vast amount of information that can be found on the internet. For many, Facebook has — for all its flaws — become a forum on which they can not only plan their trips but compare notes on everything from pricing to dinner plans.

How to Find Your Facebook Cruise Group

For nearly every sailing of a mainstream cruise line, you can pretty easily find a Facebook group. We’re not talking about pages devoted to a line or a ship, but rather to each individual sailing. Doing so is as simple as typing in a few words.

Generally speaking, you can find your sailing by typing in the name of the ship and the embarkation date. (For example, Norwegian Aqua August 29 2026.) In some cases, it takes a bit of experimentation. For example, this particular sailing could have been listed on Facebook as NCL Aqua and the date might show as 8/28. But with that basic information, you’ll be able to find and join the Facebook cruise group you’re looking for.

And that, friends, is where the fun — or trouble, depending on one’s perspective — begins!

Why Join a Facebook Cruise Group?

It’s safe to say that millions of people cruise every single year without bothering to find — let alone join — a corresponding Facebook group. So why might you consider doing so?

For many, Facebook groups provide an opportunity to extend their pre-cruise excitement. They get to chat with other people who will be on the same sailing. But it can also be a fantastic research tool, especially for those who are either first-time cruisers or perhaps trying a line which they’re not familiar with.

In nearly every case, there will be people in (or even monitoring) the group who have experience which might prove useful. It’s a great place to ask for everything from restaurant recommendations to disembarkation-day tips.

Facebook cruise groups are also a fantastic way to make plans with others. Often, someone will be organizing a slot pull, pub crawl or other socially-oriented event. Others might post messages hoping to connect with other solo cruisers.

When it comes to Facebook cruise groups, you never know what you’ll find. Of course, this can also lead to problems.

The Downside of Facebook Cruise Groups

Not everyone has great experiences in these types of groups, it’s worth noting. One very important factor which can influence every aspect of your Facebook group experience is the administrator or moderator who happen to be running the page. While most provide an environment in which people are excited to meet new people and have a good time, others assume what can only be called a more dictatorial stance.

The more controlling a moderator, the less fun a group is likely to be. While a good moderator will keep an eye out for scammers and spammers, making sure both get blocked, some take their duties a little too seriously.

It’s also important to be wary of exactly what you share in a Facebook group or on social media as a whole. Back in 2024, we reported on a woman who learned this lesson the hard way: After posting a photo which included her booking number, someone used that info to cancel her $12,000 sailing!

How to Get the Most Out of a Facebook Cruise Group

If you decide that you’re interested in joining a group, we have a few tips that might help you get the most out of the experience… and avoid some of the pitfalls!

• Join Quietly: Before you start sharing information or getting too friendly with complete strangers, get a feel for the vibe of the group. Make sure it’s right for you! If not, you can always exit just as quietly as you entered.

• Avoid Troublemakers: If someone is stirring up drama, do not engage. You might, however, check out their profile in order to make sure you steer clear of them once on board!

• Proceed With Caution: Remember, as more and more people join the group, you can’t be 100 percent sure with whom you’re interacting. Bad eggs have been known to infiltrate sailings they won’t actually be on for nefarious purposes ranging from sneaking into your direct messages to try and sell you something to tracking who’ll be out of town, leaving their home vacant and vulnerable!

• Be Active As You’re Comfortable With: Some people do little more than lurk, rarely posting or responding, while others dive in to organize events and chat with anyone and everyone. There is no right or wrong approach, it’s all about what you’re looking to get out of the group.

• Know When to Exit: When the cruise is over, connect with the people you’d like to keep in touch with… and then exit the group. We tend to find the exit shortly after boarding. Why? If there’s one thing we know, it’s that people love to post complaints. We’d just as soon not hear other people’s woes, especially about a trip we’re enjoying!

It seems a new video of cruise ship passengers fighting goes viral nearly ever week. In the wake of such altercations, it’s not at all uncommon for individual cruise lines to ban troublemakers for life. But following a recent brawl at Royal Caribbean’s Paradise Island Beach Club, questions were raised as to whether all of the cruise lines should share their “no-sail lists.” 

In other words, if passengers are banned from one line, should that extend to all of the others?

‘Out of Control and Ridiculous!’

Following the incident at Paradise Island Beach Club, we asked viewers of the daily Cruise Radio update if they believed a universal no-sail list should be implemented. While we expected many to agree, we could not have predicted that nearly 400 commenters would sign on to the idea.

“These fights are totally out of control and ridiculous,” wrote grannyoffive1313 in the comment section. “What is wrong with people.”

This was a sentiment echoed over and over.

Another recurring theme was that despite popular belief, the problem of unruly guests was not restricted to any one cruise line. “Fights just keep on breaking out among Royal Caribbean guests, yet Carnival gets the reputation as [being] the only line with a fight problem,” noted deang1004.

As for the no-sail list, they went on to suggest it was a good idea… “as long as there is a way to appeal it. But if you hit or shove someone in an aggressive posture, you should not [be allowed to] sail!” 

Cruise Lines Have The Right to Ban Passengers

Of course, one look at the cruise contract each guest automatically “signs” upon purchasing a ticket makes it clear that sailing is a privilege, not a right. As such, it can be revoked at any time.

For example, Carnival Cruise Line’s contract includes the following statement: “Any Guest whose conduct affect the comfort, enjoyment, safety, or well-being of other guests or crew will be detained onboard and/or disembarked at their own expense and will be prohibited from sailing with Carnival in the future.” 

Similarly, Royal Caribbean Group’s all-encompassing Guest Health, Safety and Conduct Policy warns that violations may result in, among other things, “removal from the vessel” and “denial of boarding on any future boarding from any of our vessels.” 

Why a Shared No-Sail List Doesn’t Exist

While airlines have a shared no-fly list, it’s unlikely that something similar could or would be created by cruise lines. One reason involves the independent nature of both cruise lines and their databases. There is also the risk of legal issues, not to mention how incredibly complex such a system.

While most of the behaviors while will get one banned are similar from one cruise line to another are similar, there is no universal code of cruise conduct.

It’s worth noting that it is possible to wind up on a cruise line’s no-sail list without even being aware that it has happened. Earlier this year, we spoke to Laura and Jonathan Fain, a young couple who found themselves shadow banned by Margaritaville at Sea after posting a TikTok video the line took offense to.

Only when they later tried booking another cruise on a Margaritaville At Sea ship did they discover that they’d been placed on the no-sail list. (You can read their story here.) Their story is not the only case in which someone took their complaints about a cruise public only to find out — sometimes even years later — that they wound up being banned.

While bans can be appealed, the process is notoriously difficult and rarely successful. That said, the lack of a universal no-sail list means that guests who find themselves unable to sail on a particular line can easily switch to a different company, where they hopefully will exhibit better behavior. However, it’s worth remembering that many cruise lines share corporate ownership. In other words, being banned following a sailing on Royal Caribbean could see you face a similar punishment where Celebrity Cruises and Silverseas.

Read Next: What We Know About the Carnival Data Leak

With the September 1 launch of its new reward program looming large on the horizon, Carnival Cruise Line’s President, Christine Duffy, sat down with Brand Ambassador John Heald to address guest questions.

Points Based On Days, Not Trips

“I know there’s been a lot of questions,” admitted Duffy, making an understatement as large as the biggest ship in the fleet she oversees. In the widely-circulated YouTube video (which you can watch below), she and Heald then had a carefully scripted (but staged to appear casual) conversation about various Rewards-related topics, starting with Milestone Rewards.

Acknowledging the importance of loyalty, Duffy said that with the new program, Carnival would be “changing the way that we count milestones. So instead of it being the number of cruises you’ve taken, it will be based on the number of days that you sail.” 

While this may sound like a matter of semantics, it’s actually an incredibly important bit of information. “For people who tend to take longer cruises, it used to take them just as long as someone who was taking shorter cruises to get to those milestones.” 

And yes, once a guest opts in to the new Carnival Rewards program, their past cruises are converted to days. In other words, if you had sailed three 7-night sailings under the old program, that would translate into 21 points.

Points, Stars and Those Brand New Sail & Sign Cards

Perhaps recognizing that there’s been more than a little confusion among cruisers where some of the changes are concerned, Duffy and Heald set out to clarify the difference between “points” and “stars”, both of which accumulate over time.

As points accumulate, they can be used in a variety of ways, including to pay cruise deposits or to make onboard purchases or receive statement credits. There are additional points granted at various milestones. For example, once one has sailed 50 days, this milestone will automatically trigger 5,000 Carnival Rewards pointes being added to their account.

In addition, every dollar you spend on Carnival earns points.

The pair also revealed that Carnival’s Sail & Sign cards have been redesigned to include how many days one has sailed. “More than any other cruise line in the world,” said Heald, “our guests love to show their loyalty.” 

Those with unused benefits accumulated under the former VIFP program will have until the end of 2030 after opting into Carnival Rewards.

How to Earn Status

Under the new program, stars are collected to improve status… and those stars are based on the amount of money you spend with Carnival. Three stars are earned for every dollar spent on cruise fares as well as any onboard spending you do. (Think shore excursions, specialty dining, shore excursions, etc)

Gamblers can also earn stars, whether playing table games or slot machines.

Finally, those who opt to use a Carnival World Mastercard will also earn stars based on purchases made.

Essentially, while Carnival’s former program was truly based on loyalty, the new program is designed to provide bigger, faster payoffs to those who are spending more money. This means one can essentially purchase status as opposed to earning it.

The Important Step You Absolutely Must Take

Anyone wanting their VIFP rewards to transfer must make sure to opt into the new program prior to its launching. Why? Because this is in essence an entirely new program, cruisers must accept the terms and conditions under which Carnival Rewards will operate.

“Privacy rules prevent us from automatically enrolling guests,” explained Duffy, “even our longtime cruisers.” The one exception? Carnival MasterCard holders, who accepted the new terms and conditions upon accepting the card.

Neither Duffy nor Heald addressed the numerous complaints from Carnival loyalists who dislike various aspects about the program. Chief among those issues is the loss of lifetime status in favor of a system which must be re-earned every two years. (Only those who have achieved Diamond status before August 31, 2026 will be granted lifetime status.)

Read Next: Deadline looms for Carnival Cruise Line guests

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There are many things we think about when the word “cruise” pops up, but darn near the top of that list would have to be food. While we’re big believers that you will never go hungry on a ship, we also manage to get ridiculously excited when a cruise line announces additions to their culinary lineup… which is exactly what Carnival Cruise Line just did. However, there’s a catch…

‘A Bold Step Forward’

In a move designed to whet our appetites, Carnival revealed a program they’re calling The Next Course. And while they’ve shared lots of details about the restaurants and experiences which The Next Course will encompass, they also let us know we’ll have to wait a bit for the biggest and best of these changes. Why? Because they’ll be rolled out starting with the introduction of the Carnival Festivale.

That means that while you might start dreaming about the meals you’ll have tonight, you won’t actually be able to experience them until May of 2027.

That said, Carnival Cruise Line president Christine Duffy believes it’ll be well worth the wait. “Our latest culinary adventure marks a bold step forward to give guests an unforgettable experience with a variety of new, vibrant flavors fleetwide.” 

Four New Restaurants to Debut

When Carnival Festivale is rolled out, it will feature several new concepts, but not only where food is concerned. There will also be a new lounge dubbed The Spark (which will feature cocktails inspired by iconic songs) as well as a bar called Mix, which sounds like a playful take on the line’s successful Alchemy Bar.

But we’re here to talk about food. So what type of food, exactly, will Carnival’s new restaurants focus on?

First up is Uku Lei Lei, a complimentary restaurant described as a space in which “Hawaii’s vibrant spirit meets bold Asian flavors.” The menu is expected to feature dishes such as poke bowls, Mongolian beef short ribs and tropical desserts, all served in a space with a relaxed island vibe.

Next on our “to eat” list is Le Bistro Musicale, described as having the spirit of a Parisian cafe and “a menu that reads like a love letter to classic French cuisine.” French onion soup, chicken cordon bleu and, of course, crispy steak frites are on the menu at this hot spot, which will come with an upcharge.

Those hungering for something fresh from the ocean will want to head to Emeril’s Coastal Seafood. The menu at this specialty restaurant is described as fresh seafood infused with the celebrity chef’s Creole flair. The atmosphere will be refined but relaxed, offering everything from fresh oysters to chef-driven specialties that “celebrate the best of land and sea.” 

Rounding out the new additions is Fetaccine, a complimentary restaurant “where Greek seaside flavors meet rich Italian culinary tradition. The menu will feature a wide variety of offerings, from chicken parm to Greek lamb chops.

New Menus, Fleetwide

So far, there’s no word on when or if any of these new offerings might eventually find their way onto ships other than Festivale or her sister ship, Tropicale, which will begin welcoming guests in 2028.

However, The Next Course does include the rollout of refreshed menus across the fleet, and the addition of Bagels At Sea. The Chef’s Table Menu will also be revamped with an emphasis on regionally-inspired flavors. Additionally, Carnival is promising fun pop-up concepts, expanded grab-and-go options and the previously announced Express Dining option.

Read Next: What you need to know about Carnival’s Express Dining option