Cruise Ship Review: Tauck Inspire
Tauck Inspire, the newest class of ships from Tauck, raises the bar in river cruising. By John and Sandra Nowlan As ocean cruise ships get bigger and bolder, various lines try to outdo each other with innovations such as giant atriums, poolside movie screens, skating rinks, and bumper cars. River cr
Escape into the Holiday Spirit. Cruising the Danube can re-awaken your childlike joy of the season.
Monday Mantra DECK the halls…DECK the halls…DECK the halls… Escape into the Holiday Spirit Cruising the Danube can reawaken your childlike joy of the season. They say Christmas is a magical time filled with family, friends, warmth, and wonder. And it certainly is, if you’re abo
Amber Cove Welcomes Carnival Next Fall – Cruise News – Dec. 19, 2014
Amber Cove Welcomes Carnival Next Fall Cruise News – Dec. 19, 2014 Cruisers will be able to visit the new destination of Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic beginning next October. The first ship to call at the North Coast port will be Carnival Victory, which arrives on October 6, Carnival offici
Five Faves: Caribbean Bars
Five Faves Caribbean Cravings Cruise up to these tropical hotspots to really get into the spirit of the islands. You don’t have to do an excursion in every cruise port you go to. In fact, I personally sign on for only one or two excursions per cruise. The rest of the time, I create my […]
Five Faves: Rums of the Caribbean
Five Faves Rums of the Caribbean A guided tour through the finest spirits of the islands. If I say the words “cruise vacation” to you, chances are you immediately get a picture in your mind that has three things in it — a ship railing, an endless blue horizon, and someone sitting in the sun [&
10 Reasons to Cruise the Danube
River Rendezvous 10 Reasons to Cruise the Danube By Bill Panoff I’ve been cruising for 35 years. I’ve sailed on hundreds of today’s big, bigger, and biggest megaships plying the world’s oceans. But, believe it or not, I had yet to sail on a river ship. So when the opportunity arose to sail
Oasis of the Seas Gets Dynamic Dining – Cruise News, Oct. 17, 2014
Cruise News – Oct. 17, 2014 Oasis of the Seas Gets Dynamic Dining The world’s largest cruise ship, Oasis of the Seas, has emerged from a two-week dry dock in Rotterdam with a bevy of new amenities … including in the culinary realm. As on the soon-to-debut Quantum of the Seas, Oasis of
Deals of the Week: CLIA Cruise Week Brings Savings…and more – Cruise News, Oct. 3, 2014
Deals of the Week: CLIA Cruise Week Brings Savings Cruise News – Oct. 3, 2014 [sf_iconbox image=”ss-star” character=”” type=”left-icon-alt” title=”Porthole’s Featured Cruise Deals of the Week!” animation=”fade-in” animation_delay=”
What’s in the Blue Lagoon? … and more – Cruise News, Sept. 19, 2014
What’s in the Blue Lagoon? Cruise News – Sept. 19, 2014 Porthole is in Reykjavik this week, attending the Society of American Travel Writers annual conference. So we took the opportunity to visit the Blue Lagoon, Iceland’s manmade, geothermal spa. While we feared it might be overly tourist
Five Faves: Culinary Keepsakes – dining experiences at sea
Porthole’s Five Faves Culinary Keepsakes Five favorite dining experiences at sea Ask any cruiser and chances are they will admit that food is key to their overall shipboard experience. While there’s no doubt that today’s cruise ships serve cuisine that rivals top-notch, land-based restaurants
Cruise News — August 29, 2014 – Construction begins on new Holland America Line ship
Cruise News — August 29, 2014 Construction begins on new Holland America Line ship No name yet, but construction on the first Holland America Line ship since 2010’s Nieuw Amsterdam is underway at Fincantieri’s Marghera shipyard in Italy — the first 680-ton block lowered by crane into
Cruise News – August 22, 2014
Cruise News – August 22, 2014 Carnival Cruise Lines beefs up Baltimore options Carnival Cruise Lines will, for the first time, operate a one-of-a-kind series of 10- to 14-day Caribbean cruises from Baltimore on Carnival Pride. The line is also adding a pair of 5-day Bermuda, 6-day Bahamas
Cruise News – July 25, 2014
Cruise News – July 25, 2014 Norwegian Updates Cuisine With cruise passengers increasingly moving into the “foodie” category, Norwegian Cruise Line is updating its culinary offerings—part of its NEXT upgrade program. Among the changes: Gone is the old-fashioned chocolate buffet, n
Cruise News – July 11, 2014
Cruise News – July 11, 2014 Windstar Adds Private Events to all 2015 Sailings Beginning in 2015, all Windstar Cruises itineraries will feature a complimentary Private Events offering on shore, designed to give passengers a local experience. The line debuted the perk with South Pacific itinerar
Europa 2: Generation LuXe
Generation LuXe Europa 2 caters to upscale cruisers seeking international flavor. By Lori Rackl The bad news for Hapag-Lloyd Cruises is that its luxury vessel, Europa, no longer ranks as the Berlitz cruise guide’s top-rated ship. The good news for the German cruise line: The coveted title was stol
Five Faves: Breakfast Buffet Items
Porthole’s Five Faves Start the Day Off Right! 5 Favorite Items at the Breakfast Buffet Who doesn’t love a good buffet? What about a gourmet breakfast? So what could possibly be better than when these two come together?! One of the best amenities of a cruise ship is the all-you-ca
All Things Grape and Small
Monday Mantra All Things Grape and Small On a luxury cruise, nothing (and we mean nothing) is overlooked. I need jaw-droppin’ attention to detail… I need jaw-droppin’ attention to detail… I need jaw-droppin’ attention to detail… Allow me to set the scene. My husband, Michael, and
Five Faves: Theme Cruises
Porthole’s Five Faves Five Theme Cruises … From gourmands to ghost hunters, there’s something for every cruiser to love. Who doesn’t love a good theme cruise? Board a ship with other like-minded folks and set sail for a week of, well, anything you can image! From country music cruises to
Wine Not?
Monday Mantra Wine Not? The Virgin Islands offer great deals — and good cheer — in unexpected places…. I want to drink in an alley…I want to drink in an alley…I want to drink in an alley… Duty-free shopping in St. Thomas is like a reunion with old friends. Shops like The Belgian Chocolat
Five Faves: Cruise Indulgences
Porthole’s Five Faves Five Cruise Indulgences … And the Science Behind Why You Shouldn’t Say No Inhibitions are like lighthouses — those things are best left on land! The next time you go on a cruise and start hearing yourself make up excuses for why you shouldn’t do something, remember th
