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Amsterdam Took a Major Step Toward Banning Cruises—What It Means for Upcoming Voyages

The vote is in, but cruises to Amsterdam are not yet out: After Amsterdam’s City Council voted in favor of banning cruise ships from the city center on July 20, the future of voyages docking in the heart of Amsterdam still remains unclear.

The cruise ship ban was proposed to address ongoing concerns about pollution and over-tourism in Amsterdam . If enacted, the legislation would move the Dutch capital’s cruise terminal outside the city and no longer allow ships to dock in the central district. A similar ban was enacted in Venice in 2021 due to similar concerns.

Although the council vote approved the ban, for now, it is only a recommendation for action. “There is no immediate closing of the terminal,” Dick de Graaff, director of the Amsterdam cruise port, told the AP after the vote last week. “The council’s call is to relocate the terminal—and we await a follow up from the alderman on investigations.”

Industry group CLIA has clarified that cruise ships are currently still being welcomed to the city, and upcoming cruises with scheduled stops in Amsterdam are still allowed to port there.

Amsterdam is a popular port of call for both ocean and river voyages . And like many European destinations this year, it has seen a significant influx of tourist arrivals. Nipping the cruise industry is one attempt to manage this “plague” of “flash-visits,” as one local politician phrased it .  In coming years, the amount of cruise passengers visiting Amsterdam are projected to only increase: For 2023, the CPA has a predicted influx of around 300,000 passengers .

When it comes to making its tourism industry more sustainable, Amsterdam has ambitious goals. In addition to targeting the cruise industry, the city has also set limits on aviation, reducing the annual number of flights allowed to land at Schiphol airport by 40,000 flights per year.

For its part, the cruise industry is offering potential solutions to help ease the environmental impacts of the ships, like upgrading the current Amsterdam port with shore power to cut the amount of pollution emitted while vessels are docked, according to CLIA’s statement. Such efforts would likely be actioned through multiple phases over the next few years.

The discussions between the local government, Amsterdam port, and cruise industry are ongoing, and the next steps for the proposed ban have yet to be released.

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It’s official! Amsterdam is BANNING cruise ships

Hoards of tourists climbing off a massive cruise ship in Amsterdam will now be a thing of the past — and we (along with many of the city’s residents) can’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. 

That’s right! Cruise ships are now banned from Amsterdam’s city centre. Why, you ask? Not only to limit tourist numbers but also to reduce pollution. 

According to BBC News , large, tourist-filled vessels are not in line with the Dutch capital’s sustainable ambitions. As a result, the central cruise terminal on the River IJ behind  Amsterdam’s main train station will close. 

Can we just say, we’re totally “on board” with their plans. 😉

No smooth sailing for cruise ships in Amsterdam

With more than 100 cruise ships mooring in Amsterdam per year, these giant floating resorts have become quite a problem. 

READ MORE | 33 best things to do in Amsterdam in 2023 [UPDATED]

While, you may think tourists are good for the economy, in this instance, that isn’t the case. Cruise tourists visit the capital city for only a few hours, where they often eat at international chains and don’t visit museums.

Basically, there’s not much in it for Amsterdam. 

@adventures_in_retirement Holland America’s Nieuw Amsterdam in Port – The Nieuw Ámsterdam is the second of their Signature-class ships, Nieuw Amsterdam celebrates historic New York City with its inspired design and an art collection valued at more than $3 million. While on board enjoy regional cooking demonstrations and food and wine tastings with Port to Table programming. Dine in your choice of specialty restaurants. Or rejuvenate in the Greenhouse Spa & Salon. Have you cruised Holland America before? #cruiseships #cruiseship #hollandamericaline #nieuwamsterdam #cruiseshiplife #cruiselover ♬ Cruise Ship – Soraï

Another issue that comes with cruise ships is the large amounts of pollution that accompany them. 

How much are we talking? A single cruise ship can produce the same amount of nitrogen oxides in one day as 30,000 trucks. The city is only too happy to be saying doei to that much pollution! 👋

Another push against tourism in Amsterdam

The banning of cruise ships is just a recent attempt to reduce the nuisance caused by extreme levels of tourism in Amsterdam. 

READ MORE | Rows of TikTok tourists take over Amsterdam’s city centre

Just this year, the city council launched an online campaign to keep British men away and banned smoking cannabis on the capital’s streets. For Amsterdam, this ban is another step in the direction towards creating a quieter, more sustainable city. 

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Amsterdam Bans Cruise Ships to Combat Pollution and Overtourism

The city council has approved a plan to close and relocate the cruise terminal in the city’s center

Daily Correspondent

Amsterdam’s city council voted last week to ban cruise ships from docking at the city’s main terminal. Officials hope the decision will help curb the number of tourists roaming around the Dutch capital, as well as protect the environment from the vessels’ emissions, reports the  New York Times ’ Isabella Kwai.

“A clear decision has been made by the council that the cruise [terminal] should leave the city,” says Ilana Rooderkerk, leader of the D66 party, which advocated for the ban, to Peter Dejong of the Associated Press . “The municipal executive of Amsterdam is now going to work on how to implement it.”

Located in the city’s center, the terminal is a major hub for cruise passengers: Some 2,100 ships ferrying more than 3.8 million travelers have docked there since it opened in 2000, according to its  website .

For now, the terminal remains open. City leaders have not given any indication as to when they would officially implement the ban, or where the terminal might be relocated to.

“Despite some news reports, we will stay open for business as usual with cruise ships continuing to call as per the schedule,” says the terminal in a  statement on its website. “The current situation has no influence on the already booked calls at our port or even on booked events in the terminal.”

Cruise Lines International Association, an industry trade group, says in a  statement that 1 percent of visitors to Amsterdam arrive via cruise ships, which contribute some 105 million euros to the city each year. Additionally, the group says that the terminal and port have pledged to “undertake investments worth millions of euros in port infrastructure and shoreside electricity for the long-term.” Whether those changes would be enough to address city officials’ concerns is unclear.

De vervuilende cruise sluit niet aan bij de duurzame ambities van Amsterdam. Ook passen cruiseschepen in het stadshart niet bij de opdracht om het massatoerisme tegen te gaan. Het klimaat wacht niet. Oftewel, het is tijd voor actie. Amsterdam vaart beter zonder de cruise. https://t.co/Ew1JiqjT8t — Ilana Rooderkerk (@IlanaRooderkerk) July 20, 2023

Cruise lines, meanwhile, are still trying to make sense of the vote, but so far seem largely undeterred. That may be because vessels do have another way to dock near Amsterdam, though not quite as near to the city center. The next closest option is 24 miles away in IJmuiden, and cruise ships could always dock there and bus their guests into Amsterdam, writes the  Independent ’s Simon Calder.

“Holland America Line has been bringing guests to and from the Netherlands for 150 years, and that tradition will continue for many years to come,” the cruise line tells the  Points Guy ’s Jordan Waller in a statement.

Amsterdam’s leaders say cruise ships do not align with the city’s sustainability goals. A  study of the  Marella Discovery , a ship that docked in Amsterdam, estimated that the vessel produced the same amount of the pollutant nitrogen oxide as 30,000 trucks or 370,000 cars.

“Amsterdam sails better without the cruise,” says Rooderkerk in a  statement , per Google Translate.

Officials also cited overtourism as another reason for the ban. Amsterdam wants to decrease the number of visitors—or, at the very least, attract those who won’t create headaches for residents. To that end, earlier this year, the city launched a “ stay away” advertising campaign targeting poorly behaved tourists . Amsterdam also  banned the sale of alcohol after 4 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in certain areas.

“Visitors will remain welcome, but not if they misbehave and cause nuisance,” said Deputy Mayor Sofyan Mbarki in a  statement earlier this year. “In that case, we as a city will say: rather not, stay away.”

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Sarah Kuta | READ MORE

Sarah Kuta is a writer and editor based in Longmont, Colorado. She covers history, science, travel, food and beverage, sustainability, economics and other topics.

Amsterdam Votes to Ban Large Cruise Ships From City Center—What This Means for Upcoming Cruises

The decision is part of a larger effort to reduce visitors and climate change–inducing emissions..

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Planning to cruise through Amsterdam in the near future? Read on for the latest.

Photo by Alessandra Easterth/Unsplash

Amsterdam’s city council voted this week to put an end to large cruise ships sailing into the heart of the city. “The polluting cruise does not match the sustainable ambitions of our city,” Ilana Rooderkerk, leader of the centrist D66 party that put the proposal forward, said in a statement . “In addition, cruise ships in the city center do not fit into Amsterdam’s assignment to reduce the number of tourists.”

The proposal, which was adopted by a large majority in the city council on Thursday, aims to close down the ocean cruise terminal near Amsterdam’s central rail station and move it further from the city to an undetermined location. No clear timeline has been set, however, and Cruise Port Amsterdam , which operates the terminal, said it is waiting for more information regarding next steps.

“There is certainly no immediate ban on ships, let alone an immediate closure of the terminal,” Dick de Graaff, director of Cruise Port Amsterdam, said in a statement sent to AFAR. He added that the cruise port is expecting to welcome 125,000 cruise ship passengers this year, and 175,000 cruise ship passengers next year.

“The city’s executive branch still needs to work out the details and it was unclear when the measure might be implemented. No year has been mentioned,” said de Graff. For now, he said, “It is business as usual at the terminal.” Cruise Port Amsterdam also operates the river cruise terminals near the city center, but it wasn’t immediately clear whether those docks would need to move as well.

The current cruise terminal was built in 2000 and cost around 40 million euros to build, according to Cruise Port Amsterdam. A few weeks before the city council’s decision, the city had approved the installation of shore power connections for ocean and river cruise ships that are expected to be operational by 2025.

“As the port has publicly stated, cruise ships have not been banned from Amsterdam,” said Sally Andrews, vice president of strategic communications and public affairs in North America for the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), which represents the majority of the world’s cruise companies.

According to CLIA, of the more than 21 million visitors that Amsterdam receives each year, about 1 percent arrive by cruise ship, with cruise tourism contributing around 105 million euros to the city annually.

Discussions about moving the ocean cruise terminal in Amsterdam date back to 2016, but according to D66’s Rooderkerk, the plan can no longer wait.

“The climate crisis is no longer a distant prospect, we are in the middle of it,” stated Rooderkerk. “To achieve a sustainable and livable future, we must act now. Allowing hugely polluting cruise ships in the heart of the city does not fit in with that. It is time for action, because the climate will not wait.”

Amsterdam’s decision follows a similar move implemented in Venice, Italy, in 2021 , when authorities decided to ban ocean cruise ships weighing more than 25,000 tons or longer than 530 feet from entering Venice’s fragile lagoon. “As a result, sulfur emissions have fallen by 80 percent” in Venice, stated Rooderkerk.

Amsterdam’s campaign to reduce “nuisance tourists”

The move to ban cruise ships from docking in the center of the city is the latest in a string of efforts Amsterdam has undertaken to rein in overtourism. Earlier this year, Amsterdam launched a campaign entitled “Stay Away” against what it called “nuisance tourism.”

“This online discouragement campaign is aimed at nuisance tourists who want to visit Amsterdam to ‘go wild’, with all the ensuing consequences,” the city said in a statement announcing the campaign. It initially targeted 18- to 35-year-old males in Great Britain with the aim of expanding to other “potential nuisance-causing visitors from the Netherlands and other EU countries.”

Amsterdam “is already taking lots of measures against excessive tourism and nuisance . . . but we have to do even more the coming years if we want to give tourism a sustainable place in our city,” Amsterdam’s deputy mayor, Sofyan Mbarki, stated when the campaign was unveiled.

The Netherlands capital also launched a “How to Amsterdam” campaign aimed at educating visitors who are already in the city about what kind of behavior is acceptable and which acts are forbidden, such as being drunk and disorderly, creating excessive noise, and buying drugs from street dealers. The city has also placed on a ban on smoking cannabis in public and has reduced alcohol sales in some areas of the city center.

“Visitors will remain welcome, but not if they misbehave and cause nuisance,” Mbarki said. “In that case we as a city will say: ‘rather not, stay away.’”

clock This article was published more than  1 year ago

Amsterdam votes to ban cruise ships

A political party cited pollution and crowding as reasons for relocating a cruise terminal away from the city

Amsterdam has already warned rowdy tourists to stay away and cracked down on smoking weed in the streets of its famed Red Light District. Now, city leaders are targeting what they see as another scourge: giant cruise ships, which dock at a terminal near the center of the Dutch capital.

Political party D66 Amsterdam said Thursday its proposal to relocate the terminal, effectively blocking cruise ships from the city, had been adopted by a large majority of the city council. An announcement said the proposal is meant to address concerns around air pollution emitted by ships and the crush of tourists who pour into the city during port visits.

Anouk Panman, a spokesperson for deputy mayor Hester van Buren, confirmed in an email Friday the city council had adopted the motion. “The municipality of Amsterdam is going to investigate how this proposal can be implemented,” she wrote.

Panman said the proposal still has to be discussed with partners in the North Sea Canal area.

“This will take some time, so at the moment we cannot give any details on how or when the proposal will be implemented,” she wrote.

Looking to dodge Amsterdam’s crowds? There are three remarkable towns a short train ride away.

Dick de Graaff, director of the operator of the cruise terminal, told the Associated Press that 114 ships were expected to stop there this year, with 130 forecast for next year. He said Cruise Port Amsterdam was waiting to see what the city would do next but was not immediately closing the terminal.

The move comes amid a years-long effort to address the impact of overtourism in Amsterdam and follows a broader outcry over crowding from popular cruise destinations in Europe and elsewhere.

In 2021, Italy’s government said large cruise ships would no longer be allowed to sail directly into Venice. Dubrovnik , in Croatia, took steps several years ago to limit the number of cruise passengers visiting at once. And residents of Key West voted to ban giant ships in late 2020 — though that vote was overturned the following year.

The Cruise Lines International Association said in a statement that while the industry group was aware of reports about the future of cruising in Amsterdam, there was no ban in effect. The statement said the port and passenger terminal had already pledged to invest millions in infrastructure and shore-based electricity for future use.

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The trade group said about 1 percent of Amsterdam’s visitors arrive by cruise ship every year and noted that cruise tourism contributes about 105 million euros to the city every year.

“There have been discussions on its relocation outside the city centre which started back in 2016 and which are still ongoing,” the statement said. “We are working with the authorities to accommodate the views expressed by Council members while continuing to support the communities that benefit from cruise tourism.”

CLIA also addressed the pollution concerns, noting that operators are working to reduce emissions at sea and in port.

“Although sustainable marine fuels and technologies are not yet available at scale, cruise lines are addressing these challenges with significant investments and innovative approaches,” the statement said.

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Passengers beware: It’s not all buffets and dance contests. Crime data reported by cruise lines show that the number of sex crimes has increased compared to previous years. And though man-overboard cases are rare, they are usually deadly .

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Amsterdam to ban cruise ships from city centre in latest crackdown on overtourism

The move, to ban ships from the city's central cruise terminal, comes after Amsterdam launched a "stay away" campaign to discourage British party-goers and banned the smoking of cannabis on the streets of its famous red light district.

News reporter @thejournojames

Friday 21 July 2023 11:37, UK

Amsterdam has banned cruise ships from docking in the city centre in its latest attempt to cut tourism and pollution.

Politicians in the Dutch capital said cruise ships were "incompatible" with their sustainability ambitions for the city, which, despite its relatively small size, is one of the most visited in Europe.

It comes after the Dutch capital launched a "stay away" campaign in March in a bid to deter people - particularly young British men - from choosing the city as a party and stag-do destination.

In February, the council also banned people from smoking cannabis in the streets of the city's famous red-light district and ordered bars and restaurants to shut by 2am on Fridays and Saturdays.

The cruise ship ban will result in the closure of the city's central terminal on the River IJ, near Amsterdam's main train station.

The proposal was adopted by a large majority of the city's council, which is run by a coalition of the centrist Democrats 66 party (D66), the social democratic PvdA and the GroenLinks environmentalists.

D66 politician Ilana Rooderkerk, who compared cruise passengers to a "plague of locust" in an opinion piece last month, said Amsterdam would "sail better" without cruise ships.

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"The polluting cruise is not in line with Amsterdam's sustainable ambitions," she wrote on Twitter.

"Cruise ships in the city centre also do not fit in with the task of combating mass tourism."

Her party said plans to build a new bridge between Amsterdam's historic southern district and the Noord district would also be impossible if cruise ships were allowed to continue docking in the city centre.

De vervuilende cruise sluit niet aan bij de duurzame ambities van Amsterdam. Ook passen cruiseschepen in het stadshart niet bij de opdracht om het massatoerisme tegen te gaan. Het klimaat wacht niet. Oftewel, het is tijd voor actie. Amsterdam vaart beter zonder de cruise.👇 https://t.co/Ew1JiqjT8t — Ilana Rooderkerk (@IlanaRooderkerk) July 20, 2023

Alternative sites from cruise ships have been considered, though no decision has yet been made on where it could be placed.

Mayor Femke Halsema, from the GroenLinks party, complained about cruise ship passengers in an interview with Dutch media in November.

She said that they did not benefit the city's residents because they only visited for a "couple of hours", ate meals at "international brands" and had "little time" to visit museums.

Ms Halsema, the city's first female mayor, has been the face of Amsterdam's campaign to clean up its streets, which welcome up to 22 million tourists each year, despite the city's relatively small size.

Its reputation as a party city, with its cannabis cafes and historic red-light district, has led it to become a popular destination for stag-dos.

In a wide-ranging interview with Bloomberg last year, she said: "Amsterdam welcomes 22 million tourists per year, and that's a little bit too much.

Read more: Dutch PM resigns after collapse of coalition government Transgender woman wins Miss Netherlands for the first time

"It's not a form of tourism we welcome or don't welcome - it's a form of behaviour. What we do not welcome is people who come here on a vacation from morals.

"It's a place where you should go if you're looking for beautiful museums, or to see the underground culture, or if you want to attend our Pride."

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Amsterdam is not the first European city to ban cruise ships from its city centre.

Venice banned cruise ships from its city centre in April 2021, following a request from UN cultural body Unesco.

While Barcelona has not outright banned cruise ships, it has made efforts to limit the number arriving in its docks.

It wants to cut the number of cruise tourists from 400,000 per month to 200,000.

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Amsterdam to Cruises: ‘Party Time Is Over’

The Dutch capital will stop cruise ships from docking in the city center as part of a campaign to curb pollution and reduce the flow of tourists.

By Isabella Kwai

Amsterdam will bar cruise ships from docking in the city center as part of a broader effort to curb pollution and reduce the large numbers of tourists who visit the Dutch capital.

The City Council passed a proposal on Thursday to close a terminal where more than a hundred cruise ships dock each year not far from the central train station.

“The motivation of the proposal from the City Council was to reduce the number of tourists, but also for environmental reasons,” Amsterdam’s deputy mayor, Hester van Buren, said in a statement on Friday. The municipality has not yet determined when the change will take effect.

The cruise ship measure was the latest attempt by Amsterdam to cap the number of visitors and crack down on bad behavior as the tourism industry has rebounded, addressing residents’ longstanding grievances linked to overcrowding and rowdy tourists. Last year, the city drew about 20 million visitors and in 2021, close to nine million tourists came either for a day trip or overnight, according to city data .

To appease the city’s 900,000 residents, the local government this spring introduced a raft of new measures aimed at sending a message to disruptive tourists to behave or stay away. It has banned the smoking of marijuana on the streets of its popular red-light district, mandated earlier closing hours for cafes and restaurants and prostitution businesses, and banned the sale of alcohol in stores after 4 p.m. from Thursday to Sunday.

The city also released an ad campaign in March aimed at British men age 18 to 35, threatening fines for those who come to the city for a “messy night.”

“Amsterdam prides itself on being a very open and tolerant city,” said Ko Koens, a professor of new urban tourism at Inholland University of Applied Sciences in Amsterdam. But residents felt that the open attitude was being abused by tourists.

Covid showed residents how quiet the city could be, he said, adding that Amsterdam wanted to send a message: “Party time is over.”

Amsterdam’s central cruise terminal has welcomed more than 3.8 million passengers and 2,100 ships since it opened in 2000, according to its website .

Dick de Graaff, managing director of Cruise Port Amsterdam, said they had noted that the council no longer wanted sea cruises at the terminal’s current location. But details were still unclear on when that measure would be implemented and on the process of searching for a new location. “There is certainly no immediate ban on ships — let alone an immediate closure of the terminal,” he said in a statement. “It is business as usual.”

One report by the environmental consultancy CE Delft found that a ship that docked in Amsterdam, the Marella Discovery, emitted the same amount of nitrogen oxide pollutants as 30,000 trucks.

“The polluting cruise does not match the sustainable ambitions of our city,” said Ilana Rooderkerk, leader of the centrist D66 party, which pushed the cruise ship proposal. The city also wanted to build a new bridge to connect a developing district in the north with the rest of the city. But that plan was hampered by the cruise terminal.

“In other words, Amsterdam sails better without the cruise,” she said.

City residents take a dim view of cruise ship tourists, who come in large groups for short visits that do not generate as much for local businesses as those who stay longer, Professor Koens said.

“The Venice scenario is what every city fears,” he said.

Venetian officials have worried in the past about the impact of day-trippers from cruise -ships, who locals say have threatened the city’s identity. In 2021, Italy banned large cruise ships from the lagoon around Venice’s historic center to protect it from mass tourism, but have not yet built a new dock to replace it.

Officials in other popular European cities, like Barcelona, are also fighting to limit the numbers of cruise ship tourists disembarking on their shores.

Amsterdam is less economically dependent on tourism than other popular cities, and is hoping that being more selective about the visitors it attracts will prevent overcrowding that could threaten it several years down the line.

Isabella Kwai is a breaking news reporter in the London bureau. She joined The Times in 2017 as part of the Australia bureau. More about Isabella Kwai

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No, Cruise Ships Are Not Banned from Amsterdam

By Jason Cochran

07/27/2023, 6:00 AM

Another week, another inaccurate travel headline that seems designed for clicks.

In recent days, you might have read that Amsterdam's city council has outlawed cruise ships. BBC New s : Amsterdam bans cruise ships to limit visitors and curb pollution . People : Another Major City Has Just Banned Cruise Ships .

While there might be some very good reasons to eliminate cruise ship traffic from the intimate heart of the famous Dutch city, it's not happening anytime soon.

In fact, according to Amsterdam's director of cruise ports, 114 ships are expected to arrive in the city in 2023, and 130 more are coming in 2024. You could be on one of them, if you like. 

How can that be if cruise ships have been banned, as the travel press said?

It's because the council vote cited in the news reports was only a recommendation. The vote did not actually effectuate a ban.

Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), an industry group, is furious about the erroneous reporting, going so far as to issue a rebuke : "We are aware of the media reports about the future of cruise in Amsterdam. As the port has publicly stated, cruise ships have not been banned from Amsterdam," the statement read in part. "Furthermore, the port and Passenger Terminal Amsterdam have already pledged to undertake investments worth millions of Euros in port infrastructure and shoreside electricity for the long-term."

CLIA minimized the government vote as being merely "the views expressed by Council members." 

The Dutch council vote wasn't binding, but the tide is turning against the presence of giant cruise ships in the heart of Amsterdam (pictured above in 2016).

When big cruise ships dock in the old city, they must thread their way along a long waterway known as the IJ, which historically had to accommodate much, much smaller vessels. Seeing the multi-deck behemoths of the modern cruise industry tower like moving skyscrapers above the city's delicate sixteenth-century townhouses and church spires can be jarring, and watching these ships swivel within the tight channel so they can depart again can be downright harrowing. 

And it's also true that historic places around the world are feeling less welcoming to the environmental stress, overcrowding , and unsightly scenes that huge ships can bring. After experiencing some ugly accidents,  Venice, Italy , banned the ships from entering the heart of the city. And the citizens in Key West, Florida, won a public referendum to ban the largest vessels—a vote that Gov. Ron DeSantis and his Republican colleagues found a way to ignore .

But getting rid of cruise ships also means forfeiting income, both for the town or for well-connected politicos, and in cases where cities decide to find more appropriate docks farther away, it takes time to figure out alternate arrangements. Amsterdam's council vote is significant in that signals a strong public shift and therefore a start to that process, but change will require new infrastructure that will take years to achieve. 

So contrary to news reports, you may get on a cruise ship to Amsterdam anytime you wish. Whether you want to, knowing how the locals feel about it, is another question. 

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• Cruise ships maintain Amsterdam calls amid ongoing environmental...

Cruise ships maintain Amsterdam calls amid ongoing environmental protests

Despite ongoing disruptions caused by an environmental group at the Port of Amsterdam (Netherlands) , large cruise ships are maintaining their scheduled calls this weekend.

Virgin Voyages ' vessel Resilient Lady is set to arrive on Saturday, August 31st, with an overnight stay, while NCL-Norwegian Cruise Line 's vessel Norwegian Dawn is scheduled to dock on Monday, September 2nd.

Representatives from both cruise lines confirmed that no changes have been made to their itineraries despite the protests. Norwegian Cruise Line stated that there are no changes to Norwegian Dawn’s call to Amsterdam on Monday, Septemper 2nd. Virgin Voyages also confirmed that Resilient Lady’s schedule remains unchanged but noted that they are closely monitoring the situation and may consider rerouting to a nearby alternative port if necessary.

The disruptions in Amsterdam began earlier in August when members of Extinction Rebellion blocked the port, causing delays and cancellations for several cruise ships. On August 10th, Royal Caribbean ’s Jewel of the Seas was prevented from docking, and similar protests on subsequent days affected other vessels, including Seven Seas Mariner and Serenade of the Seas . In response to the potential threat, some ships have already opted to alter their itineraries, with DCL-Disney  rerouting Disney Dream ship to Zeebrugge, Belgium .

A couple moved onto a never-ending, around-the-world cruise that's been stuck at port for 3 months — see inside the Villa Vie Odyssey ship

• Villa Vie says its residential cruise ship Odyssey will set sail on September 9 or 10 following a three-month delay.
• Lanette Canen and Johan Bodin left their home in Hawaii in the spring to move onto the ship.
• The couple said they were "very impressed" with Villa Vie Odyssey despite its delays — take a look inside.

Villa Vie Odyssey looks like any other cruise ship, complete with a modern pool deck, a buffet, a pickleball court, and excited travelers.

But Villa Vie Residences' 509-cabin vessel won't operate conventional Caribbean cruises or Alaska sailings.

Instead, the residential ship is readying to embark on a never-ending vacation that would circumnavigate the world every 3 ½ years, stopping at 147 countries and 425 destinations along the way — all while providing travelers with the comforts of a traditional cruise liner.

But not without hiccups. The ship has been stuck in Belfast, Northern Ireland for more than 3 months.

The cruise was initially scheduled to set sail in May following the company's acquisition of Fred Olsen Cruise Lines' more than 30-year-old Braemar vessel, now renamed Villa Vie Odyssey , in December 2023.

However, Villa Vie has said issues like the aging ship's rudder stocks and recertification have since delayed its departure.

Mikael Petterson, the founder and CEO of Villa Vie, told Business Insider in an email in September his "best guess" is that the residential vessel would set sail on September 9 or 10 with some changes to the itinerary.

"But it's a moving target if it's either of those days," he said.

The uncertainty isn't worrying would-be residents Lanette Canen and Johan Bodin.

The couple, both 54, uprooted their lives in Maui, Hawaii, in the spring to move onto Villa Vie Odyssey in May. Since then, they — along with another 100 to 150 guests — have stayed in the UK in anticipation of its departure.

Residents can spend their days on Odyssey but aren't allowed to stay overnight yet. In the interim, Petterson said the company is providing these would-be residents with lodging, shuttles to and from the ship, food, and drinks.

"We're stuck in the harbor, but we've met some really cool people from all walks of life," Bodin told BI. "We all have something in common. We're a little crazy and want to see the world."

'We went pretty much every day for two weeks and spent all day there until they kicked us off,' Canen said.

Canen spent much of these two weeks at Villa Vie Odyssey's business center, designed for residents like her who plan to work remotely at sea.

According to the couple's video tour of the ship — posted on their aptly named " Living Life on a Cruise " YouTube channel — the coworking space has shared desks, private offices, and conference rooms.

Villa Vie said the ship is also equipped with Starlink , an increasingly common amenity on cruise vessels.

Bodin, however, preferred to edit their YouTube videos in the observatory lounge.

The observatory is one of five bars and lounges on Odyssey. As its name suggests, the bright space has large windows with sprawling views of the ship's surroundings.

It's also furnished with a piano, which Bodin said has been frequented by a fellow resident and skilled pianist. "I'm sitting there getting a private piano concert."

That's not to say Villa Vie hasn't been providing its guests with professional onboard entertainment.

According to the couple's video , Villa Vie Odyssey has hosted live bands at the Coral Club and had a large Olympics viewing screen at the Neptune Lounge.

In the meantime, residents also have an open bar, like the one at Morning Light Pub.

"They're schmoozing us a bit to keep us happy," Bodin said. "They're almost being too serviced-minded. I don't need to be pampered all the time."

Besides drinks, the roomy watering hole is home to the ship's dartboard, which joins the outdoor shuffleboard, stack of board games, and, of course, pickleball court as onboard activity options.

Like any traditional cruise ship, Odyssey also has a fitness center, spa, and modern pool deck with two jacuzzis.

But unlike most cruise vessels, guests have access to the ship's laundry room.

Laundry could be one of the only chores guests have to do, but even then, it's not required.

Villa Vie said it'll provide residents with laundry and housekeeping services twice a week.

No need to cook or clean either — the ship has 3 restaurants, 2 of which are complementary.

In the morning, travelers like Canen and Bodin can wake up to the buffet at Palms Cafe, which offers breakfast options such as bread, fruits, cheeses, and an omelet station.

For dinner, the couple said they've been especially partial to the Grill's "really good barbecue."

To residents like Canen and Bodin, these spaces aren't just bars and lounges — they're living rooms.

As for their bedroom, the duo will be slumbering in their "obstructed view cabin."

The room is small, and a lifeboat obstructs its view, but they've already started to make it their home.

They've added risers under their bed to create additional storage. They also plan to remove the pullman bed to make space for a large world map, which they'll annotate as they continue their global journey.

Canen and Bodin declined to disclose the price of their accommodation, but windowless inside cabins are currently listed at $100,000, while those with ocean views are $50,000 more.

They'll also have to pay $3,500 in monthly fees.

Still, Canen said life on Maui was "way more expensive" than the Odyssey. "We're traveling on a budget. It's very affordable for the two of us."

"Why do I live in Maui when I could travel the world?"

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2025 Northern Europe Cruises: Discover Iceland, Norway & Belgium

There's no better way to travel the world than aboard a Norwegian Cruise Line ship. If you're interested in seeing the sights of northern Europe, you won't want to miss the opportunity to cruise with Norwegian - which consistently wins the award for Europe's top cruise line from World Travel Awards year after year. With multiple departure ports of call, you can start your cruise from your city of choice before traveling on a voyage you won't forget.

Here, we'll take a closer look at Norwegian's 2025 Northern Europe cruises , highlighting some of the most notable ports of call and helping you plan your cruise.

Ready to start planning? Explore all Northern European cruises .

2025 Northern Europe Departure Ports

If you'd like to explore Northern Europe from the sea, you'll have 10 potential ports of departure from which you can start your journey. You can begin your cruise in northern Europe or from locations further south or west if that's more convenient for you. When cruising to the north of Europe in 2025, these are the cities from which you can depart:

• Copenhagen, Denmark.
• Lisbon, Portugal.
• London (Southampton), United Kingdom.
• New York City, United States.
• Oslo, Norway.
• Paris (Le Havre), France.
• Reykjavik, Iceland.
• San Juan, Puerto Rico.
• Stockholm, Sweden.
• Tromsø, Norway.

So, get ready to pack your bags and head to the departure port that best suits your travel plans in 2025.

2025 Northern Europe Cruise Ports

With a staggering list of port cities in 2025, the most challenging part of planning your trip will be deciding which cities to visit during your northern European cruise vacation. Perhaps you want to take a northern lights tour in Reykjavik, or maybe you can't wait to visit the Tower of London. Whatever your dreams are for your 2025 cruise, Norwegian has a port city that will leave you breathless. Here are some highlights of what could be on your agenda in 2025.

Reykjavik, Iceland

With its rugged natural beauty and vibrant towns filled with rich cultural experiences, a visit to Iceland won't disappoint. There are few places with the diverse topography and landscape found in Reykjavik , where you can see flowing lava, hot springs, impressive waterfalls, and rocky mountains waiting for you to snag the perfect photo to document your cruise. While the natural setting is enough to fill your senses, don't miss out on the top-tier dining experiences that you'll find in the quaint villages.

London (Southampton), England

London (Southampton) serves as a starting point for several of our cruises around northern Europe, which comes as no surprise given the vast number of activities you can participate in before starting your cruise vacation. Visit with royalty at Buckingham Palace, see London from a bird's eye view aboard the London Eye, or even take in a Broadway-style show in the West End. Sip some tea and munch some scones as you dream about the adventures awaiting you along your voyage.

RELATED CRUISES: 12-Day Baltic from Stockholm to Paris: England, Germany & Belgium 12-Day British Isles Round-Trip London: Ireland & Scotland 14-Day Northern Europe from New York to Reykjavik: Iceland, Greenland & Canada

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Amsterdam is a city built upon a series of canals that make for the perfect morning or afternoon stroll. Take in the city's scenic beauty and marvel at the stunning architectural design of the buildings that border the canals. Consider renting a bike and traveling around the city like many of the locals. If you prefer to relax, a canal cruise might be more your speed. Don't miss the opportunity to see some of the most astounding museums in the world, including the Anne Frank House and the Van Gogh Museum.

Galway, Ireland

This port city on Ireland's picturesque west coast has a rich history that dates back to the thirteenth century. Explore a traditional Irish farm, search abandoned castles, or tour remarkable cathedrals during your stop in Galway. If you're up for an adventure, explore Aillwee Cave, an underground sanctuary carved from melting water during the Ice Age, where you can see interestingly shaped stalactite and stalagmite formations and catch a glimpse of the bones of an extinct species of bear. Before you leave, no trip to an Irish village would be complete without some music and ale at the local pub.

Helsinki, Finland

Known as Scandinavia's "White City of the North," Helsinki has a fascinating architectural style featuring buildings erected using local light-colored granite. Tour the National Museum of Finland to learn more about the cultural history of the Finnish people and view artifacts dating back to the Stone Age. Visit one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites, the Suomenlinna fortress, a fort located on a quiet island where you can find a bit of solitude. Or take a walk through the central Market Square, where you can sample local produce, taste local food, and shop for souvenirs in the comfort of heated tents.

More From Forbes

The 20 best u.s. tourist attractions ranked—according to a 2024 report.

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Garden of the Gods, a park in Colorado Springs, Colorado with beautiful rock formations, is among ... [+] the most worthwhile tourist destinations in the United States, according to a new list from BookRetreats.com.

Travel guides and lists are often filled with cliches promising to take you off-the-beaten path or deliver you to hidden gems. In the last year or so, this has been especially true with the rise of the dupe travel trend, which is the idea that, instead of vacationing in a popular spot, you can seek out an alternative destination that has a similar vibe or scenery. But the thing is, many tourist attractions are popular for a reason: They’re great. And to help quantify the best of the best, BookRetreats , a leader in retreat bookings, used data sets to curate a list of the best U.S. tourist attractions.

For the report, analysts evaluated 77 of America’s most popular points of interest, evaluating popularity, overall experience from a dataset that included 7,500 visitor experiences, hotel price points and state-level safety rankings.

Here’s more on the findings and a list of the top 20 tourist attractions in the United States, that, yes, draw millions of tourists, but are also worth putting on your travel bucket list.

What’s the No. 1 Tourism Spot in the USA?

Central Park ranked as the No. 1 tourist attraction in the United States, according to ... [+] BookRetreats.com. But for many New Yorkers, its not a tourist attraction, it's a retreat in the middle of the city.

The best tourist attraction in the U.S. is Central Park in New York, according to the ranking, with visitors agreeing the park is worth the hype.

“Surrounded by towering skyscrapers and bustling streets, this 843-acre green haven offers a refreshing escape from city life that visitors love,” the report says.

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Central Park draws 42 million visitors each year, according to the Central Park Conservancy . Even if you haven’t had a chance to visit the park, yet, you’ve probably seen the park in movies. It’s been featured in more than 240 films, including “When Harry Met Sally,” “Home Alone 2,” “Elf,” “Breakfast at Tiffanys,” and “Ghostbusters.”

Central Park is also famous because its design, led by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, inspired other urban parks across the country.

In addition to well-known features in Central Park, like the carousel, skating rink, and a zoo, visitors can rent a boat to take out on the lake, go for a birding tour, or even take chess lessons.

Which U.S. State Has the Best Tourist Attractions?

Niagara Falls including American Falls in foreground and Horseshoe Falls in background, with autumn ... [+] leaf colors

New York dominated this new list of best tourist attractions in the United States. Most attractions are in the Big Apple, including Central Park, Times Square, Rockefeller Center, the Brooklyn Bridge and the 85-acre park next to it. But Niagara Falls in western New York also cracked the list, landing at No. 7.

What Do The Top Tourist Destinations Have in Common?

Balboa Park in San Diego is home to a collection of top-notch museums.

Several of the top 20 places to visit in the U.S., according to BookRetreats, are natural attractions. That’s because, the analysts say, beautiful landscapes have a knack for meeting or exceeding tourist expectations.

At 1,200 acres, Balboa Park in San Diego is larger than New York’s Central Park. Visitors can purchase a Balboa Park Explorer Pass and visit a number of the park’s fantastic museums, seeing folk art at the Mingei International Museum and the San Diego Natural History Museum, which will be opening a new fossil processing lab with a glass wall so visitors can watch scientists in action.

Another nature-centric highlight on this list is Garden of the Gods, a park with towering red rock formations in Colorado. Stay at the Garden of the Gods Resort and Club for up-close views of one of the park’s most popular rock formations, the Kissing Camels.

Zion National Park in Utah was the only national park on the list of best tourist attractions in the ... [+] United States.

Zion National Park in Utah was the only national park that cracked the top 20 list. Hiking The Narrows, a slot canyon, or the treacherous Angels Landing trail are high on adventure travelers bucket lists.

What Are The Top 20 Tourist Attractions in the USA?

Ahead, the top attractions for tourists, according to the BookRetreats analysis.

No. 1: Central Park in New York, New York

No. 2: National Mall in Washington, D.C.

No. 3: Balboa Park in San Diego, California

No. 4: Smithsonian National Museum of History in Washington, D.C.

No. 5: Times Square in New York City, New York

No. 6: Rockefeller Center in New York City, New York

No. 7: Niagara Falls in Buffalo, New York

No. 8: Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, California

No. 9: Magic Kingdom Park in Orlando, Florida

No. 10: Brooklyn Bridge Park in New York, New York

No. 11: Hoover Dam in Boulder City, Nevada

No. 12: The Highline in New York, New York

No. 13: Fountains of Bellagio in Las Vegas, Nevada

No. 14: Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, Colorado

No. 15: The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, New York

No. 16: Zion National Park in Utah

No. 17: San Antonio RiverWalk in San Antonio, Texas

No. 18: ICON Park in Orlando, Florida

No. 19: Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California

No. 20: Brooklyn Bridge In New York, New York

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This Cruise Line Now Lets You Travel Standby for $99 — With Routes to Private Islands in the Caribbean and Glacier Trips in Alaska

Holland America's expanded standby program has a new rate — and new perks.

Evie Carrick is a writer and editor who’s lived in five countries and visited well over 50. She now splits her time between Colorado and Paris, ensuring she doesn't have to live without skiing or L'As du Fallafel.

Have you ever dreamed of cruising the open sea but just can’t get past the cost? As long as you’re willing to travel at the last minute, you can hop aboard one of Holland America’s ships for a fraction of the cost. The company’s newly expanded Standby Program costs travelers $99 per person, per day for an Inside or Oceanview stateroom, or $129 per person, per day for a Verandah.

The rate may cause some Holland America devotees to balk — after all, the program used to cost $49 a day . But, while the old $49 rate didn’t include taxes or fees, the new $99 or $129 rate does. The fine print now states that the advertised fares include taxes and fees.

Plus, the new standby price is still half the cost of most early bookings. For example, the famed 7-Day Alaskan Explorer , which provides more glacier and wildlife sightings than any other cruise line and can cost over $200 a day per person when booked in advance. Similarly, the 21-Day Eastern Caribbean Wayfarer cruise, which includes a full day on Holland America’s private island, can cost almost $230 per person, per day. The standby rate for both trips is half that — and then some.

Here’s the rub: you need to be ready to go at a moment’s notice, which means you should be within driving distance of the port or have the budget to book last-minute flights. Holland America will notify people on the standby list two to seven days before departure, so you’ll need to be prepared to pack your bags and get to the port in two days. In addition, you’ll be charged for the cost of the trip when you add your name to the standby list. If you’re not cleared off the list, you’ll be refunded in four to six weeks. 

If you’re a solo traveler, you can travel in your own room for $99 per day (Inside or Ocean View room) or $129 per day (Verandah room). If you’re planning to travel with a guest, you’ll both be charged the daily standby rate ($99 or $129 each). However, if there are three or four people in your party, the third and fourth guests travel for free — meaning the daily cost for a family to cruise with Holland America via the standby list can be as low as $200 per day.

The list of eligible Standby Program sailings currently includes trips as far out as April 2025 to destinations like Hawaii , Newfoundland, the Mexican Riviera, and the Caribbean.

To view a full list of Standby Program itineraries, visit hollandamerica.com . To join the Holland America standby list contact a travel advisor or call 877-724-5425.

Related Articles

Wi-Fi on cruise ships: 5 things to know about internet use on board

I have good news for those of you who assume the only way to stay in touch with home from a cruise ship is via a message in a bottle: Cruise ships come equipped with internet, and cruise Wi-Fi connections have been getting faster at a rapid rate — and cheaper, too.

While checking emails and surfing the web on some vessels still requires the patience of Job, onboard technological improvements on many ships combined with new satellite and direct ship-to-shore systems is making cruise internet access much more like what you find on land.

For cruise news, reviews and tips, sign up for TPG's cruise newsletter .

If you're a first-time cruiser, you're likely most concerned with the basics: Do cruise ships have Wi-Fi and how much does Wi-Fi cost on a cruise? Repeat cruisers who have paid the price for finicky service may be wondering the best way to access fast connection speeds across their devices while avoiding unnecessary charges.

I can guide you through the ins and outs of Wi-Fi on cruise ships. Here are five things to know about onboard internet before you set sail.

Wi-Fi on cruise ships will never be as fast (or reliable) as home

Yes, all cruise ships today offer an internet connection, but it might not be the seamless experience you've come to expect on land.

For most of the many years I've been writing about cruising, the typical internet connection at sea hasn't just been slow. It's been glacial. You'd click on a website only to experience many seconds of frustration. Maybe the page would come up. Maybe it wouldn't. Maybe the cruise would end while you were still sitting there.

Related: 16 mistakes cruise ship passengers make on disembarkation day

Why the slow speeds? To start, there is no Comcast cable wire running to your cruise ship. On cruise ships, every packet of data you are downloading onto your phone or computer, for the most part, is coming over a satellite, which is not a quick or inexpensive proposition.

The maritime communication companies that specialize in providing internet connections to ships have been trying to speed things up in recent years. Solutions have included adding more satellites and linking their systems to land-based towers that connect with ships as they near shore.

But, in the end, there are limits to just how well a satellite system can work. For starters, a ship needs a clear "line of sight" to a satellite to exchange data, something that isn't always the case. Cruise ships traveling through the famed Norwegian fjords, for instance, can lose their satellite signal due to the height of surrounding mountains.

And there are certain parts of the world where satellite coverage is too thin or nonexistent to allow for internet access on cruise ships. During a sailing in the Russian Arctic on a Hapag-Lloyd Cruises ship, I was forced to live without internet for a good part of a week due to a lack of satellite coverage in the area (something, I must say, was kind of wonderful).

So while onboard cruise Wi-Fi speeds are getting better, they'll never be as fast as at home, where a hard wire brings the signal straight to your router.

Onboard internet speed is getting much faster

On some cruise ships, the signal has become so much faster you now can stream Netflix from the comfort of your cabin — something that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago.

New satellite systems, paired with multimillion-dollar investments in shipboard technology, really are making things better in a big way. A turning point came in 2014, when cruise giant Royal Caribbean partnered with satellite company O3b Networks to create a new onboard internet system that it claimed was six times faster than anything else at sea. Called Voom, the system tapped into new Medium Earth Orbit satellites operated by O3b that can shoot their beams directly at ships as they move.

When I ran a speed test of Voom on Adventure of the Seas, I found the line's fastest option, the Surf + Stream service, usually offered download speeds of just around 3 megabits per second. I never found download speeds exceeding 4 Mbps, but I did see it drop as low as 1.5 Mbps. While still significantly slower than many home connections, that's fast enough to enjoy Netflix and other streaming video services, though I did experience grainy video and buffering issues on occasion.

Royal Caribbean still claims Voom is the fastest and best Wi-Fi option on cruise ships today. But we're a bit skeptical – not because the Wi-Fi is slower than stated, but because other cruise lines, like Carnival Cruise Line , are quickly catching up.

Carnival cruise Wi-Fi is also fast enough to support Netflix streaming on some ships, the company says. The cruise line uses a hybrid system that combines faster satellite connections at sea with a network of less-expensive land-based towers that take over as its vessels near coastal areas.

On a sailing on one of the Carnival ships outfitted for faster internet, Carnival Sunrise , I did notice a significant improvement in cruise Wi-Fi speed. But the promised access to Netflix streaming wasn't quite as smooth as I had hoped. Clicking on a favorite show, I only could watch for a few minutes before the connection inevitably froze.

Some lines in just the last year or so have begun partnering with Elon Musk's Starlink system for speedy internet.

Related: How fast is the internet on a Celebrity cruise? We put it to the test

Cruise internet costs have gone down

Just a few years back, you had to pay a small fortune for the privilege of accessing the internet on a cruise ship. The base rate for onboard Wi-Fi for years started around 75 cents a minute. That's $45 for a single hour online!

The old pay-by-the-minute system, which could leave even modest internet users with sky-high bills, is now giving way to simpler and more affordable "all you can browse" plans on many lines.

How much does Wi-Fi cost on a cruise today? Well, the highest-speed version of Royal Caribbean's Voom connection currently costs $26.99 per day for one device. In the old days of 75 cents-a-minute pricing, that same amount of money would have gotten you just 36 minutes of web time.

Royal Caribbean also offers a slower-speed version of Voom that can't support streaming for $19.99 per day for one device. For both cruise internet packages, there are discounts for adding more devices and purchasing a package online before your sailing.

Related: 15 ways that cruising newbies waste money on their first cruise

Another line bringing down internet costs dramatically is Carnival. At the very low end, it now offers a Social Wi-Fi plan that allows access to all the key social sites (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.) as well as messaging services such as WhatsApp, for just $15.30 a day ($18 when purchased on board). A slightly more expensive Value Wi-Fi plan, at $19.55 per day when bought in advance ($23 per day when bought on board), adds access to email and most websites.

The line's top-tier Premium Wi-Fi plan, at $21.25 per day when bought in advance ($25 when bought onboard), triples the speed of the Value plan and adds access to VoIP calling on messaging apps and Skype (but not FaceTime). Note that you might be able to make Wi-Fi calls from an iPhone or via WhatsApp, even with the less expensive plan. Passengers who pay for a Carnival Cruise Wi-Fi plan in advance of sailing get a 15% discount.

But perhaps the biggest development in cruise internet costs in recent years is that many higher-end lines have begun offering internet access for — get this — free. Viking , Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Silversea Cruises are among lines now including unlimited internet time in the base cost of a voyage. At some of these lines, such as Regent, you can pay extra for faster service.

Another way to get free or cheaper internet time on ships is to join cruise line loyalty programs . Many offer free cruise Wi-Fi or discounted package pricing to customers who hit mid- to upper-tier levels.

At Celebrity Cruises, for instance, the top Zenith tier in the line's Captain's Club loyalty program comes with unlimited free Premium-level internet (the fastest plan at the line). At Princess Cruises , customers can get 50 percent off MedallionNet internet packages after reaching the Platinum level in the line's Captain's Circle loyalty program (to qualify, you'll need to complete either five cruises, or 50 cruise days).

On Royal Caribbean, the path to free Internet on a cruise is through its high-end suites . Book a room in a Sky Class or Star Class suite (all suites above the junior suite level), and you'll receive free Voom.

Apps offer an alternative to paid cruise Wi-Fi

In recent years, a growing number of cruise lines have rolled out free apps for your phone that will let you make reservations for onboard restaurants, spa treatments and other services without ever leaving your pool deck lounge chair. On some ships operated by Carnival, you even can order beer and pizza to wherever you happen to be using an app.

Many of these apps also will show you a schedule of daily activities, offer ship deck plans and sometimes port maps to help you get around, and let you check your onboard account statement in real time. On Celebrity Edge and other Celebrity Cruises Edge-class ships, you can even use an app to remotely open your cabin door, change channels on the television and turn off the lights.

While all these apps work off cruise ship Wi-Fi, the good news is they don't require the purchase of a plan to use. Nor do they come with any other sort of fee — at least for most features.

At Carnival, you'll pay $5 per cruise to add a "chat" feature to the line's otherwise free HUB app that will let you communicate via text-like messages with other app-enabled passengers. Norwegian Cruise Line also requires passengers to pay a fee (currently $9.95 per cruise) to use a messaging and calling feature of its Cruise Norwegian app.

Cruise internet tip: Use airplane mode to avoid unwanted charges

Whether or not you're purchasing a Wi-Fi plan on a cruise ship, I have one very strong piece of advice: Put your phone in airplane mode the moment you step on board the vessel and leave it that way for the duration of the sailing.

This is the safest way to avoid unwanted data charges, which can be enormous. (Remember the story of a family that racked up $14,000 in data charges on a cruise?)

As many cruisers have found the hard way, international phone plans such as AT&T's $10-a-day International Day Pass do not apply to cruise ships at sea. If you let your AT&T phone roam while you're on a vessel, you'll pay $2.05 per megabyte of data — even if your base plan at home offers you unlimited data. You'll also pay $3 per minute to make a call, $0.50 per text and $1.30 to send a photo. All that adds up very quickly.

AT&T does offer a " Cruise Plus " plan for a flat fee of $100 that allows unlimited talk and text during sailings up to 30 days in duration. But it only comes with 1 gigabyte of data (which may seem like a lot until you start streaming movies), with any overage billing at a still-hefty $10 per 100 megabytes. It's also not available on every ship. More than 175 vessels are part of the program.

If you insist on leaving your cellular service on during a cruise, you should at least disable any apps running in the background (as they'll be eating up data, and running up your bill) and disable email auto-check.

Personally, I find it easier to just hit the airplane mode button. Once in airplane mode, I reactivate the Wi-Fi feature on my phone to access the cruise Wi-Fi, and sign up for a shipboard plan that will let me stay in touch by email or a VoIP service like WhatsApp.

Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:

• The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship
• A beginners guide to picking a cruise line
• The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship
• A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines
• 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
• 12 best cruises for people who never want to grow up
• What to pack for your first cruise