Transparency
Affiliate Disclosure and Cruise Travel Disclaimer
Effective date: September 3, 2026
Last updated: September 3, 2026
CruiseShipInsights.com is written and operated by Ellie Simons in Wisconsin, United States. This page covers two things: how the site does or doesn’t make money, and the limits of the cruise information published here.
Where the site stands today
As of the date at the top of this page, CruiseShipInsights does not participate in any affiliate program, does not run advertising, and has not accepted any sponsored placement, complimentary sailing, or comped product in exchange for coverage.
That may change as the site grows, and this page is where the change will show up first. The rest of what follows sets out the rules that apply whenever it does.
Affiliate links
If affiliate links appear here in future, this is how they’ll work.
- Some links will earn a commission if you click through and book or buy something.
- Your price does not go up because of that commission. It comes out of the seller’s side, not yours.
- A disclosure will appear near the relevant content or before the first affiliate link on the page.
- Any affiliate programs actually in use will be named on this page, not left vague.
Plenty of links on this site will never be affiliate links. A link to a cruise line’s deck plans is there because you need the deck plan.
Commercial relationships do not buy coverage
This is the part that matters. Whether a cabin, ship, venue or product is worth recommending is decided first, on the evidence. Whether there’s a commission attached is considered afterward, if at all. Nobody can pay to have a cabin warning removed, a ship reviewed favorably, or a competitor left out.
The research process behind those decisions is written out on the Editorial Standards and Corrections Policy page.
Sponsored and complimentary experiences
If CruiseShipInsights ever receives payment, a complimentary sailing or cabin, an upgrade, a tour, admission, a product, a discount, or any other material benefit connected with coverage, that relationship will be disclosed clearly on the affected article. Receiving something does not guarantee coverage, and it does not guarantee a positive conclusion.
Advertising
The site does not currently display advertising. If it does in future, ads and advertiser-supplied material are separate from editorial content, and an advertisement is not an endorsement.
Cruise travel disclaimer
CruiseShipInsights publishes travel information and editorial opinion. It is not professional advice, and it is not a substitute for what your cruise line tells you.
Cruise ships change, and they change more often than most people expect. Any of the following can be different by the time you sail:
- Deck plans and cabin configurations, especially after a refurbishment.
- Cabin numbers, categories and what a category includes.
- Venue locations, names and operating hours.
- Fares, availability and what’s bundled into them.
- Itineraries, ports of call and sailing dates.
- Cruise line policies on everything from dining to accessibility.
- Which ship is even operating a given sailing.
Passenger experiences vary too. Two people in the same cabin on consecutive weeks can come away with completely different impressions, which is exactly why the guides here try to describe who’s likely to be affected rather than issuing blanket verdicts.
So: use this site to narrow down your options and to know what questions to ask. Then confirm anything that would actually change your booking with the cruise line, your travel agent, or the operator involved, before you pay. That’s the sensible order of operations, and it’s what I do myself.
This site is not a cruise line
CruiseShipInsights is independent. It is not a cruise line, travel agency, tour operator, booking service or insurer, and it has no relationship with any operator. It cannot change your cabin, alter your booking, or resolve anything with a cruise line on your behalf. The contact page says more about what I can and can’t help with.
Third-party sites and services
Links point to cruise lines, booking platforms, forums and other outside sites for reference. Their content, prices, terms, cancellation rules, availability, security and privacy practices are theirs, not mine, and a link is not a guarantee of how they’ll perform. Read their terms before you buy anything from them.
Trademarks and copyright
Cruise line names, ship names, logos and other third-party trademarks and copyrighted material belong to their owners. Their appearance on this site does not imply sponsorship, endorsement or affiliation. Copyright concerns can be sent through the contact page with the page address and details of the material in question.
Related pages
How recommendations are made
The evidence comes first, and the commercial question comes second.