Give Yourself the Valentine’s Day Gift of a Lifetime With Aurora Expeditions
Give Yourself the Valentine’s Day Gift of a Lifetime! I might not know a whole lot about Aurora Expeditions, but I love them already. While other cruise lines are marking the arrival of Valentine’s Day with promises of new romantic heights, Aurora Expeditions is encouraging us solo sailors to us
Enjoy the Dom Pérignon Experience aboard Oceania Marina
After several days aboard Oceania Cruises’ Oceania Marina, just when I was pretty sure I’d enjoyed the finest cuisine in the most sumptuous settings at sea, a small ad in the daily program catches my eye: The Dom Pérignon Experience, a six-course gastronomic triumph that showcases the finest Ch
Service Dog Receives Holland America’s Five-Star Mariner Status
Photo: Holland America Line Aboard Rotterdam VII, we’re all just barking mad…for Joska! This morning, shortly after Rotterdam VII sailed under overcast skies into New York City following Holland America’s 150th Anniversary crossing, the line’s President Gus Antorcha and the
Holland America 150th Anniversary Sailing Triggers Fond Memories
Porthole Cruise and Travel’s Judi Cuervo is aboard Rotterdam VII crossing the Atlantic as part of Holland America’s gala 150th Anniversary sailing. The voyage includes many guests who have a strong connection to the cruise line, including a past crew member who is seeking two of the sh
This Classic Rock Music Cruise Lets You Sail with Rock Legends
In 1976, when I started cruising, I’d never have believed that one day I’d be sailing the Caribbean with some of my rock music idols. But, thanks to On the Blue classic rock music cruise, I’ll be doing just that aboard the Norwegian Pearl from January 28-February 2nd. Before I get into the
Biscuits are Just the Beginning on American Queen Voyages
American Queen Voyages’ culinary ambassador, Chef Regina Charboneau, may be known as “The Biscuit Queen” — a title bestowed upon her by The New York Times when they reviewed her feather-light biscuits. But after a taste of her culinary genius during a Columbia and Snake River sailing aboard
Scenic Azure: Cruising Portugal’s Douro Valley
I’m sitting on the balcony of my suite aboard Scenic Azure hypnotized by the sun-drenched Douro River Valley with its patchwork of terraced vineyards and charming, rustic quintas. Tomorrow, Sharone and I head back to the States but, today, we find ourselves wistful, as if we’re about to vacate a
Check out the Freshly Renovated SeaDream II
I had a friend years back—Audrey—who, though positively stunning, decided to have “some work done.” And the results were most unfortunate. I thought of Audrey in January of this year when the award-winning, five-star SeaDream Yacht Club announced that their twin yachts, the 4,260 grt, 112-
Oceania Marina: Converted to Cruising
“That ship is enormous!” exclaims Sanja as the motorcoach delivers us to the Miami Passenger Ship Terminal to board the 66,084 grt and 1,250 passenger Oceania Marina. (Note to self: Do NOT suggest Sanja accompany you on a cruise aboard a ship like Wonder of the Seas or she might just pass ou
How ‘bout Some S.A.L.T.? Silversea’s New Culinary Program
That pizza in Naples, its thin, perfectly charred crust topped with a bubbling, spicy tomato sauce and a blanket of gooey melted cheese. Mouthwatering fish and chips at a tiny pub outside London, a crisp, golden coating hugging the flakiest plaice filet while a heap of tender fries, liberally sprink
Cruising on Viking Venus: Just What the Doctor Ordered
Never say never, I suppose, but I’d be stunned if anyone even caught a cold aboard a Viking Ocean ship, much less contracted COVID-19. I just returned from a 12-night Mediterranean Odyssey voyage aboard Viking Venus, the latest addition to Viking’s gorgeous series of identical 930-passenger, 47,
The Perfect Holiday Gifts for Cruisers
The holidays are BACK — and so is cruising! This year, you can hope to gather with family and friends for holiday dinners, drinks, parties, gift-giving, and other festivities that go far, far beyond that 60-minute video call that was the extent of last year’s holiday celebration — the one wher
Making Up for Lost Time: a Post-Pandemic World Cruise
They say that we make plans and God laughs. Well, God must have been doubled over in knee-slapping hysterics when last year’s lockdown coincided exactly with my retirement date. Gone were my lavish retirement party and, even more heartbreaking, two Caribbean cruises along with my ideal post-
The Cruise Show Must Go On!
Heavy metal fans aren’t going to let a worldwide pandemic stand in the way of their fun. With cruising at a virtual standstill, Monsters of Rock, which for a decade has been the ultimate seagoing celebration of the explosive world of hard rock and metal, is taking the party ashore! Originall
SeaDream Yacht Club Webinar Offers Answers and Updates
Throughout my entire corporate career, nothing was more important to me than providing answers or, when definitive answers were elusive, regular updates that informed and enlightened my clients or colleagues. How refreshing to see that SeaDream Yacht Club adheres to these same business principles in
Silversea Silver Moon Completes Successful Sea Trials
Cruise news to cheer! Sailing suspensions. Cancelled cruises. Refund delays. Scrapped ships. Nasty comments from journalists who consider themselves qualified to slam the entire industry despite never having set food on a gangway. I tell you, these days I brace my
Cruising’s Hottest New Clubs
Everybody dance now! Not too long ago, a get-down, get-funky night of dancing to popular music was nearly unheard of linaboard a cruise ship. A disco, if there even was one, was stashed away like an afterthought in the bowels of the ship or on the topmost deck so as not to offend passengers fo
Testing the Waters: a 3-Day Getaway to St. Thomas
Sometimes—even during a pandemic—a girl needs to immerse herself in a turquoise sea, feel powder-soft sand between her toes and have some crispy, deep-fried conch fritters for lunch. And so I decided, with the Virgin Islands open to visitors, to plan a quick three-day getaway to St. Thomas—a m
ANTI-SOCIAL DISTANCING? Solo Cruising in the Covid-19 Era
When I think of cruising in the Covid-19 era, the chorus of Eric Carmen’s 1975 pop hit “All By Myself” wafts through my mind because, more often than not, I sail solo. People sail solo for a lot of reasons. Perhaps they’re single, divorced or widowed, or maybe they’re stressed-out bu
CRUISE RECIPE: MSC Cruises’ Neapolitan Pizza
I’m Hungry to Sail Again… When it comes to MSC’s pizza, I’m something of an expert since that’s pretty much all I consumed during the 2013 and 2014 Moody Blues Cruises aboard Poesia and Divina, respectively. Unlike the typical sailing where leisurely meals in the ship’s dining room or sp
