🚢8 cruise mistakes ranked from mild to extreme to avoid in 2026

 ⛑️Consumer Rescue presents🛟

Tales from Consumer Advocacy Land

Real stories. Real rescues. Real advice.

🎉 Hey there, friends! Happy New Year! 🥳

Here we are — a brand new year together.

Before we jump into what’s new in Consumer Advocacy Land this week, I want to take a moment to say something that matters to me.

You are the reason I show up at my desk each morning — 365 days a year without fail 🤓 — and why I’m often still working late into the evening, investigating a story, answering distraught consumers who reach out for help, or hopping on the phone to calm a troubled traveler.

Consumer Rescue is my life’s mission, and your support validates the work my team and I do each week from inside Consumer Advocacy Land.

So truly, thank you — from the bottom of my heart — for being here and for trusting me with your stories.

I wish you a wonderful new year filled with good friends, family, and most of all, joy.

And if you ever just need a friendly hello, know that my email and phone are always open. I’m not just your favorite fiasco fixer — I think you know, I’m your friend.

Now, let’s see what’s new this week in Consumer Advocacy Land.

To start the new year, I’ve got a cautionary guide for cruise passengers: 8 cruise mistakes you can easily avoid in 2026.

Next, if you received any gift cards for the holidays, I urge you to use them sooner rather than later. Check your balances as soon as possible. The earlier you discover a problem with a gift card, the easier it will be to fix.

Finally, I’m sharing the two most-read articles on the Consumer Rescue site in 2025. The pageviews for these stories were nearly identical, but the missed Princess cruise story edged out the missed Carnival cruise story by a sliver.

Enjoy!

Do you have an opinion about today's articles? Want to share a suggestion? I love to hear from you.

Our site's comment section is open and ready for you to offer your thoughts. You can also add your comments under our articles on the Consumer Rescue Facebook page.

Or you can join our "Consumer Rescue: What's Your Problem?" Facebook group. It's a community where we can discuss consumer issues, solve real-time problems, chat about consumer news and our articles, and get quick answers to questions. Members can also share tips, guidance, and travel experiences.

It's a private group, so only members can see what's inside. We hope to see you there!

🤗Welcome to all our new subscribers! We're delighted to have you here with us. 

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Until next time 😃

Don't forget! Consumer Rescue is just a click away. One of us is always here to answer your questions. 

Of course, you can always reach me at [email protected]