About
Hi, I’m Ellie Simons
Traveler, engineer, cruise obsessive, and the person behind Ellie’s Travel Tips.
I took my first cruise on the Disney Magic when I was eight, and apparently that was enough to turn ships, itineraries, ports, and trip planning into a lifelong obsession.
I grew up, became an engineer, and eventually realized that the same part of my brain that loves solving technical problems also loves figuring out how to make a trip work better. That is the whole idea behind this site.
Why I started Ellie’s Travel Tips
I have been creating travel content for years, and the questions I keep coming back to are the practical ones. Which cabin should I book? Is the more expensive option actually worth it? How much time do I need? What should I skip?
There is plenty of beautiful travel inspiration online, and I love that part too. But I am happiest when I can take the inspiration and add the details that help someone actually make a decision.
The obsession
Cruising is a very big part of this site
I am an itinerary-first cruiser. Norwegian is often my personal go-to because I like the relaxed atmosphere, but I will happily choose another line when the ports or the route are better for the trip I want.
I am also the Ellie behind CruisePorts.co, my specialist port project. The two sites are different on purpose: this one helps with the broader trip, CruisePorts.co goes very deep on the port day itself.
On Ellie’s Travel Tips I cover the whole cruise-planning picture: lines, ships, cabins, fares, onboard life, ports, itineraries, dining, accessibility, and family travel.
All of it is the kind of thing that is much easier to understand before embarkation day than on it.
How I work
The engineering shows
I like specifics: the actual venue name, the real cabin category, the correct terminal, the current rule, the distance from A to B, and a source for any fact that could affect someone’s trip if I got it wrong.
Editorial PolicyWhen I was there
If I personally visited, sailed, stayed, photographed, or tested something, I will tell you what that experience was actually like.
When I was not
If a guide is built from research, I will not pretend I was there. Both kinds of guide are useful, but they are not the same thing.
When things change
Prices, schedules, rules, and operators move. Guides get updated when they do, and corrections are made in the open.
What you can expect here
Advice from a travel-obsessed friend who did the homework first: useful specifics, honest tradeoffs, realistic planning, and enough personality that researching a vacation still feels fun.