Monday Mantra Guilty … Guilty … Guilty … It Won’t Break the Bank, But… Feeling nickel-and-dimed on board? Or are you a penny-pinching pro? If you ever doubt the goodness of mankind, eavesdrop on a conversation among cruise fans. Smuggling alcohol, swiping a towel, or sharing a beverage package triggers sheer outrage among …

Monday Mantra The Naked Truth … The Naked Truth … The Naked Truth … Clothes-Optional Cruising — Uncovered What do you pack for a nude cruise? Not much. I’m really not comfortable writing about something that I, personally, haven’t experienced but in the case of nude cruising, I’ll make an exception because ewwwwwwwwwwww! …

Monday Mantra Aaaaachooo! … Aaaaaachooo! … Aaaaachooo! … Cough Drops and Cruise Dreams Here’s to good health and a good ship … and they can’t come soon enough! God, I feel awful. I’ve surrendered to the horrible head cold that’s made me miserable all week so I find myself stuck at home with …

Monday Mantra Cosmo Guy … Cosmo Guy … Cosmo Guy … A Master Mixer’s Memoir A bartender who can get the cosmopolitan right has clearly been around — and is just as clearly going places. It started with a cosmopolitan, that concoction of vodka, Cointreau, cranberry and lime that few bartenders know how …

Monday Mantra Tech-yes or Tech-no?…Tech-yes or Tech-no?…Tech-yes or Tech-no?… Cruising into the Future Ready or not, here sails the Internet of Things! Last week, Carnival Corporation announced the launch of Ocean Compass, a quarter-sized gizmo designed to further elevate the cruise experience by tapping into technology to retrieve guest information and recognize preferences. …

Monday Tuesday Mantra Happy New Year! … Happy New Year! … Happy New Year! Resolve This! A dozen ways to be a better cruiser in 2017. It’s time for me to look ahead to a bright and shining new year and give some thought to what I might do to enjoy cruising even …

Porthole’s Five Faves Eco-Experiences at Harvest Caye Five ways to discover Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest island paradise. As cruise passengers disembark at Norwegian Cruise Line’s brand-new port of Harvest Caye, they can start to see and smell the island’s flora as they walk the canopy-covered pier positioned alongside the mangroves. The recently opened …

Monday Tuesday Mantra Dover? Stay over! … Dover? Stay over! … Dover? Stay over! … There’s plenty to recommend in Dover and the towns of southeast England. Well, here I am spending the holiday season completely ashore in southeastern England (for full details of where and why, look for my autobiography, Judi’s Truly, Truly …

Five Favorite Cruises That Give Back Making the world a better place, one vacation at a time This holiday season, the most heartwarming gift for a cruise fan would be a ship of your very own … but where would you dock it? (And is Santa going to chip in for gas??) No, …

Monday Mantra The Judi’s Choice Awards…The Judi’s Choice Awards!…The Judi’s Choice Awards… And the Winners Are! Cruising has plenty of biggest, first, and most wonderful accomplishments. The Judi’s Choice Awards recognize the best of the rest. Today, I look back on 2016 and recognize those things nobody else dares to! Anyone can shower …