Five Faves: Don’t Mind If I Do
Five Cruise Experiences Worth the Splurge If you’re in love with cruising, chances are, a good portion of your savings goes directly into a “Cruise Fund” — on call for spending money for this year’s holiday cruise, in a bigger pot for that dreamy South Pacific itinerary, or being squirrele
Rise and Shine – Some cruisers might think getting up before dawn is crazy. They don’t know what they’re missing.
Monday Mantra The Early Bird Gets the View … The Early Bird Gets the View … The Early Bird Gets the View … Rise and Shine Some cruisers might think getting up before dawn is crazy. They don’t know what they’re missing. Last night I was lying in bed reading when the following sentence stopp
Cruise Artiste – Maritime painter Stephen Card has got the ticket to the good life.
Monday Mantra A Lucky Card … A Lucky Card … A Lucky Card … Cruise Artiste Maritime painter Stephen Card has got the ticket to the good life. When I die, I want to come back as maritime artist Stephen J. Card, luckiest son of a gun ever. Stephen was born and raised in Bermuda […]
Five Faves: Smokestack Spotters & Top-Deck Trivia
Stumped? Highlight for answers: 1. P&O Cruises (P&O Ventura‘s smokestack), 2. MSC Cruises (MSC Splendida‘s top deck), 3. Holland America Line (ms Nieuw Amsterdam‘s aerial view), 4. Norwegian Cruise Line (Norwegian Escape‘s bridge and upper decks), 5. Wind
Kicking Butts – Sometimes, flicking a cigarette overboard can be playing with fire.
Monday Mantra Way to go, P&O … Way to go, P&O … Way to go, P&O … Kicking Butts Sometimes, flicking a cigarette overboard can be playing with fire. The latest charge against the cruise industry comes in the form of a cancer-stricken 58-year-old Australian man being unceremon
Five Faves: The Many Fish of Finding Dory
The Many Fish of Finding Dory Which of these characters are you likely to see on your next underwater excursion? Spoiler alert! There are fish in the new Disney•Pixar film Finding Dory! That’s the only revealing plot-point we’ll dare to share from this, our favorite movie of 2016 thus far. And
Love You Till the End of the World …the end of the World Cruise, that is!
Monday Mantra Sail-Away Bride … Sail-Away Bride … Sail-Away Bride … Love You Till the End of the World…the end of the World Cruise, that is! They say you can’t run away from problems … but you can sail away from them. In fact, that’s how I ended up on my only Atlantic crossing. I [
Five Faves: “Calculated Risks” for Ovation of the Seas Cruising in China
Porthole’s Five Faves Cruiser Abroad Five “Calculated Risks” for Ovation of the Seas Cruising in China Pushing the envelope appears to be a core business strategy for Royal Caribbean International. And the recently launched Ovation of the Seas, a Quantum-class ship, marks an industry first, ha
Cruise Proud – Wear your ship-love on your sleeve … or right across your heart.
Monday Mantra Fit to a T … Fit to a T … Fit to a T … Fit to a T … Cruise Proud Wear your ship-love on your sleeve … or right across your heart. It seems that with every mention of cruising, there comes a comment about T-shirt shops. So, being an entrepreneurial […]
Five Faves: World Oceans Day
Love Thy Ocean Five Fave Programs to Support the Sea Today is World Oceans Day, a day of ocean celebration and collaboration for a better future. This year’s theme is “Our Oceans, Our Future,” with the goal to promote prevention of plastic ocean pollution. We at Porthole Cruise Magazine, and w
Choice Dining. Are you Getting the Best from your Buffet?
Monday Mantra Yay for the buffet! … Yay for the buffet! … Yay for the buffet! Choice Dining Are you getting the best from your buffet? I slapped my head like one of those “I could’ve had a V-8” commercials. Is it possible? Could I have missed it? I’ve been doing these Monday
Five Faves: Passage to Paradise
Porthole‘s Five Faves Passage to Paradise The ever-popular 7-night Western Mediterranean cruise itinerary typically includes ports in Spain, France, and Italy, treating visitors to ancient cities, diverse architecture, amazing art, and historic treasures. Churches and cathedrals play an import
This Ship Will Rock – Let’s meet 60 head-on: with the best music of the 1970s.
Monday Tuesday Mantra Cruise to the Edge? YES! … Cruise to the Edge? YES … Cruise to the Edge? YES! This Ship Will Rock Let’s meet 60 head-on: with the best music of the 1970s. Summer’s arrived! I say this as I’m sitting here, sweltering in a tank top, wondering if it might be time [&helli
Five Faves: Cruising Deep
Cruising Deep Five favorite attractions that go below the ocean’s surface The ocean is what makes the cruise – without it, a cruise ship is just a big metal hotel (though admittedly one with a really good buffet). If you’ve spent any time on board looking down over the rail, or even wading int
Interrupting This Program – It’s nice to know about the daily events on board … for somebody.
Monday Mantra Get with the program … Get with the program … Get with the program … Or not … Interrupting This Program It’s nice to know about the daily events on board … for somebody. I have a confession to make. When I’m on a cruise, I never read the daily program. Ever. Most [&hellip
Five Faves: Declare Your Independence – Five reasons to love a small-ship cruise.
Declare Your Independence Five reasons to love a small-ship cruise. There you are speeding through life and you think maybe it’s time to take your foot off the accelerator and slow down a little. You may have cruised before on one of those megaships that hold 3,000 and 4,000 passengers, all rushin
A Host with the Most – A romantic rendezvous worth cruising to.
Monday Mantra Shipboard romance? … Shipboard romance? … Shipboard romance? A Host with the Most A romantic rendezvous worth cruising to. True story. I was in Barcelona in November 2013 and spent a night, pre-cruise, at the lovely Hotel Duquesa de Cardona, a boutique property located acro
Working at Sea – Is It for Me?
Monday Mantra Unqualified … Unqualified … Unqualified … Working at Sea – Is It for Me? Could you be cut out for cruising career? Could I? It was love at first sight for cruising and me. Immediately, I loved being aboard a massive ship that delivered me to exotic ports. I enjoyed the camarade
Five Faves: Every day is Cinco de Mayo!
Porthole‘s Five Faves Every day is Cinco de Mayo! When in Mexico, you can drink as the locals drink all year long. Today is Cinco de Mayo! Before we start mashing fresh a.m. avocados and salting morning-margarita rims though, let’s unpack a little fact and ficción. FACT: Cinco de Mayo is tr
Mama’s Bahamas Drama
Monday Mantra Oh pleeeease …. Oh pleeeease …. Oh pleeeease …. Mama’s Bahamas Drama When someone misses the ship, there’s always more to the story. The first thing I did on Friday morning was switch on the TV news, but not to see what’s going on in the presidential race, who’s getting P