Monday Mantra Vive la France …Vive la France …Vive la France … Travel On The best response to tragedy is to keep an even keel and a steady course. There I was, planning to write my blog on Friday when I came home from work. I was torn between three ideas: A parody …

A Cruise Ship Review of Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas Royal Caribbean’s newest addition to the fleet is a sight to behold. Anthem of the Seas can house 4,905 guests in 2,090 staterooms and, at 1,141 feet long, lays a claim at being the third-largest cruise ship in the world. It has its …

Monday Mantra It’s a Mystery…It’s a Mystery…It’s a Mystery… A Cruise to … Somewhere You know you’re a serious cruise fan when you sign on to sail an unknown itinerary. You know how it is when you’ve booked a cruise. Everyone you know — your friends, your family — all ask where you’re …

Upcoming Theme Cruises Not that you ever need an excuse to book a cruise, but these theme cruises provide a pretty convincing reason to set sail soon.   Who knew that the high seas would provide the ideal common ground for people to congregate and celebrate their passions? If this handful of upcoming …

Monday Mantra A Few Tips … A Few Tips … A Few Tips … A Little Something Extra Navigating the etiquette of tipping can be tricky. You can’t spend nearly 20 years married to a man whose entire career was in the restaurant business and not be left with a profound appreciation for …

Spooky Scenes Cruising’s Most Haunted Hotels It’s late October, when the wind rattles through the cane fields, Las Calaveras Catrinas decorate the streets of Cozumel, the duppies and jumbies cast long shadows along the lonely island beaches, and people everywhere gather close to trade scary stories over hot toddies — but none more …

Monday Mantra I’m movin’ in … I’m movin’ in … I’m movin’ in … Home Is Where the Ship Is Why not cruise full time? Every so often, you’ll see a news story about an old woman who decides to sell her home and all of her possessions and move, permanently, on to …

Smooth Sailing Five Tips for First-Time Travelers Allow me to preface this post: I am completely and totally in love with traveling. There isn’t one part of traveling that I don’t like. I love the middle seat, I adore layovers (the longer the better), security lines are joyous and often make me smile, …

Monday Mantra A private performance … A private performance … A private performance … Mysteries of the Sea The best parts of a cruise can’t be planned – only enjoyed as they happen. If I had to pick the most magical moment of my nearly 40 years of cruising, it would have nothing …

Porthole‘s Five Faves Rock This Ship Five Reasons You’ll Love a Music Theme Cruise I recently had the pure joy of spending four days on a cruise with six of my favorite people: Emily, Donnie, Danny, Jordan, Jon, and Joe. The former, my BFF since kindergarten; the latter five, none other than our all-time favorite …