Use Cruise Critic's Message Boards to Plan Your Cruise Vacation (2024)

One of Cruise Critic’s defining features since its inception in the late 1990’s has been its Message Boards. A place for experienced and would-be cruisers alike to mingle, share information and ask questions, our Message Boards have roughly 2 million members – a number that continues to grow to this day.

How do you get the most out of Cruise Critic’s cruise message boards? Read on.

Ask Questions on Cruise Critic’s Forums

Looking to plan your first-ever cruise, or simply curious about a ship you’ve never tried, a line you’ve never sailed or an itinerary you’ve been interested in? Cruise Critic’s Message Boards are the place to start.

Individual forums are available for every major cruise line, from German-language brand AIDA Cruises to adult-only newcomer Virgin Voyages. You can read any board you’d like simply by signing up to become a member and can post and ask questions anywhere you’d like.

Our members range from first-time cruisers to veterans with hundreds of sea days under their belts. These include cruisers who almost exclusively sail with a single line, along with those who jump around from ship to ship and line to line.

How detailed can your question be? As detailed as you want! Cruise Critic’s members are experts in minutiae. Want to know how obstructed that Obstructed Oceanview cabin is, or how many electrical outlets are in a particular stateroom? Our members will know – guaranteed.

Our editorial staff maintains a presence on the boards as well and try to answer questions about upcoming trips we have. Your concerns are our concerns, too! (I got my start on Cruise Critic in 2005 – as a community member as well – before embarking on a career in cruise journalism).

And if there’s anything our members don’t know, our Community Manager, LauraS, is almost certain to -- she has been with Cruise Critic since its inception.

Use Cruise Critic’s Roll Calls to Connect Before Your Sailing

In addition to asking questions, you can also use Cruise Critic’s unique Roll Call feature to connect with folks onboard the same sailing as you – all before you’ve ever set foot aboard your ship.

Roll Calls are divided by cruise line and ship – all you need to do is find the name of the ship you’re sailing on, select your sail date, and start connecting with folks! People will sometimes use our Roll Calls to join in on group shore excursions, arrange get-together parties to get to know each other onboard, and even participate in Cabin Crawls: events where participants who are open to it show off their cabin category so people can see a wide array of accommodations on each ship.

Roll Calls are lots of fun and offer a great way to make friends before you even leave home. Don’t see a departure date listed for your sailing? Create a Roll Call and start a thread of your very own!

Finally onboard your ship? Consider sharing your journey with your fellow Cruise Critic members as-it-happens by posting a live thread detailing your cruise.

Not only are these threads hugely informative (and tremendous fun for the armchair cruiser), they’re one of the things that Cruise Critic’s members do best. Some of the most detailed threads even start long before departure, and can give members a look at a new ship or an unusual itinerary, like a 77-day voyage aboard Holland America’s Volendam with member WCB, or member kwokpot’s 30-day transpacific crossing aboard Carnival Luminosa from Seattle to Brisbane.

Not in the mood to post from your own cruise? No worries – ask a question of those already onboard, or read along for plenty of cruise travel inspiration, live and as it happens

Become Part of a Community of Like-Minded Cruise Fans

Cruising has often been referred to as a lifestyle, and nowhere is that celebrated more than here at Cruise Critic. We’ve got a passionate community of members (and editorial staff) that eat, sleep, and breathe all things ship.

With photo galleries, forums on everything from Ports of Call to What to Wear (and even a forum dedicated solely to First Time Cruisers) and even fascinating Q&A sessions with high-ranking cruise line executives, Cruise Critic’s message boards offer a wealth of information that’s useful to new and experienced cruisers alike.

Discussions cover every aspect of cruising -- and frequently take on a life of their own. One particular thread, started by member Copper10-8, asks members what their first cruise ship was – and has been continually updated since its creation in September 2008!

So, hop aboard and come discover what cruising is all about, from the folks who know it best.