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SH Minerva Is the First Cruise Ship in the World to Receive DCA ESG Certification

A cruise ship can look almost stationary from the deck: there is no roadside scenery, and its size smooths out much of the motion. In ordinary service, many ships cover 18 to 20 nautical miles an hour, roughly 20 to 23 mph or 33 to 37 km/h. For most travelers, the useful figure is the typical cruise ship speed in knots, not the theoretical maximum.

Smoking has not disappeared from cruise ships, but the days of treating an open deck as fair game are largely over. On most vessels, it is permitted only in a small number of clearly marked places. Cabins, balconies and nearly all indoor public rooms are normally smoke-free. Any cruise ship smoking policy should be checked for the specific vessel and itinerary.

For most international cruises, the uncomplicated answer is yes: travel with a valid passport book. The confusion comes from a limited rule that allows some US citizens to return from certain round-trip cruises using other documents. That exception is real, but it is much narrower than the phrase “cruise without a passport” makes it sound.

Packing for a cruise becomes much easier once you stop trying to prepare for every imaginable situation. The useful question is not “What might I possibly want?” but “What would be difficult to replace once the journey has begun?”