Welcome to Cruise Ship Compass

On a recent flight home from my last cruise, I had the pleasure of sitting next to a lovely couple who had just completed their first cruise--and they absolutely loved it! When they found out that I had just completed my 35th cruise, they peppered me with questions: What’s my favourite cruise line? Favorite destination? What should be avoided? At the end of the flight, they asked if I had a blog or website where they could follow my adventures. Sadly, I didn’t.

But now that I’ve retired after a fulfilling 40-year nursing career (with the last 15 years in infection

prevention and control) and by popular demand from friends, family (and even strangers), I’ve decided to take the plunge and create a website to host my cruise travel blogs.   

So welcome to Cruise Ship Compass and cruisin’ with Susan!

With my blog, I will

share my expertise and offer tips and recommendations based on my extensive travel experiences, my love of history and geography and nursing background. Whether you're a first-time cruiser or a seasoned traveller, I aim to provide valuable insights that go beyond the typical cruise blog. From what to pack and which cruise lines to choose, to how to stay healthy on board, I believe my unique perspective can help you navigate your cruise journey with confidence.

Through this platform, I hope to inspire others to embark on their own cruises, explore new destinations and try different cruise lines. Sharing my positive experiences and stories is my way of motivating people to step out of their comfort zones and embrace the adventure that cruising offers.

Given that I’ve been fortunate enough to experience so many incredible cruises, it wouldn’t be possible to cover them all in detail. However, I’m excited to share photos of some of the most breathtaking destinations I’ve visited, which is why I’ve created a “Past Cruise Destinations” section on the website. Feel free to explore the collection of images, organized by city, country or region. If you have any questions or comments about the photos, I’d love to hear from you-- simply reach out via the contact form or email me directly at cruiseshipcompass.com.

Finally, I want to clarify that I do not represent any brands and the opinions shared here are entirely my own. Please note that I won’t be offering medical or professional travel advice on this site.

My next cruise is just around the corner! I’ll be setting sail on back-to-back Western and Eastern Caribbean cruises.  The first week I will be aboard the Celebrity Apex (which I've sailed on twice before) and is the second ship in Celebrity's Edge class. The second week I will be cruising on the Sun Princess, the very first ship of Princess’s exciting new Sphere class.

Stay tuned for updates on my experiences!