Food for Thought: Galley Gossip
FOOD FOR THOUGHT Galley Gossip Cruise line chefs dish about the challenges of cooking at sea. By Lynn and Cele Seldon When it comes to cruising, there’s one thing you can always count on: The food’s great and there’s lots of it. But how do ship chefs do it, given the unique challenges they fac
Flower Markets
World-famous flower markets are in full bloom By Heather Tucker Like in other parts of the world, in Belgium and the Netherlands, flowers signal the end of a dreary winter and the start of a blooming spring. Bouquets are cradled in the crook of a woman’s arm as she rides her bicycle through the co
Gota Canal
GOTA CANAL Steaming Through Sweden A century-old canal ship puts a new spin on Scandinavian cruising. By Barry Vaudrin Hans Christian Andersen did it. So did the king of Sweden and the wife of a U.S. senator. Crisscrossed Sweden, that is, with the 137-year-old Göta Canal Steamship Company (Göta is
Jetting There: Upgrades
JETTING THERE Movin’ on Up Travel expert Johnny Jet offers tips on how to get an upgrade. By Johnny Jet I’m all over the place. Each year, I fly at least 25 different airlines to about 20 countries around the world. I take cruises and rent cars and spend hundreds of nights in hotel rooms. [&hell
Destination Discovery: Morocco
DESTINATION DISCOVERY/MOROCCO For Cruisers Who Have Done It All By Mike MacEacheran Next Stop: Morocco… Ever since Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman traded one-liners in Rick’s Café in Casablanca, the thought of Morocco and its most famous city has conjured up images of exotic romance and intr
Like a Local: Kickin’ Back in Quebec City
LIKE A LOCAL Kickin’ Back in Quebec City Sure, there are guidebooks that list every restaurant and attraction in destinations around the world. But Porthole’s “Like a Local” department goes straight to the natives, who truly know the way to go. By Mark Cardwell I’ve lived in Quebec City si
River of Dreams
River Cruises River of Dreams Experience relaxation on Europe’s quaint waterways. From a mathematical standpoint, it makes perfect sense that the cruise industry would appear to focus its attention on oceans, which account for 98 percent of the water on this planet. Don’t get us wrong. We love t
Amazon Big River, Huge Adventure
AMAZON Big River, Huge Adventure Exploring the Amazon on a luxury cruise ship is probably the way to go. By Michael Collins I knew that the Amazon was a big river. Fourth grade geography taught me that. I also knew that Brazil’s longest river is at the heart of the world’s most famous rainforest
Destination Discovery: Greenland
DESTINATION DISCOVERY Destination Discovery For Cruisers Who Have Done it All By Julie Gedeon Next Stop: Greenland . . . Sailing under a midnight sun as it glistens off the watery veins of a drifting iceberg is reason enough to pack for Greenland. Knowing you’ll see more of Greenland in a week tha
Mythbuster: Will I Gain Weight on a Cruise?
MYTHBUSTER Will I Gain Weight on a Cruise? Ask the guy who knows his ships. By Robert McGarvey Of course you will, if you spend all your time bent over the buffet. But you won’t, will you? Cruising no longer is just about chewing — it’s about getting out and doing — and believe me, […
Extreme Makeovers
Extreme Makeover: Cruise Edition Crystal Serenity takes on a chic new look. By John and Sandra Nowlan Extreme Makeover without the annoying host who screams through a bullhorn? Now that’s serenity. Crystal Serenity, in fact. Following a $25 million refurbishment in May, Crystal Cruises’ classic
Join the Club: Holistic Cruises
Join the Club: Holistic Cruises Cruising Cures Can you find wellness on the waves? By Clark Norton People love cruising for many reasons. But Betty Hoehn, a retired U.S. Steel employee from Jacksonville Beach, Florida, has a particularly compelling one. Hoehn is convinced that if she hadn’t signed
Ship Spotlight: Makeovers
SHIP SPOTLIGHT- MAKEOVERS Extreme Makeover: Cruise Edition Crystal Serenity takes on a chic new look. By John and Sandra Nowlan Extreme Makeover without the annoying host who screams through a bullhorn? Now that’s serenity. Crystal Serenity, in fact. Following a $25 million refurbishment in May, C
Like a Local: US Virgin Islands
LIKE A LOCAL Livin’ in the USVI By Carol Bareuther Sure, there are guidebooks that list every restaurant and attraction in destinations around the world. But Porthole’s “Like a Local” department goes straight to the natives, who truly know the way to go. I’ve lived in St. Thomas since 1986
Food for Thought
FOOD FOR THOUGHT Table Talk Chow down with the chef? Now that’s cruising! By Chris Cognac You liked the midnight buffet. You loved the specialty restaurants. Now get ready for the ultimate culinary coma — otherwise known as dining at the Chef’s Table. Food, as everybody knows, lo
Beam Me Up, Scotty!
Beam Me Up, Scotty! A Star Trek theme cruise is a voyage like no other. By Clark Norton Do you dare to boldly go where no cruise-goers — well, comparatively few — have gone before? No, not to the middle of the Sahara desert (though that would make for some mighty bold cruising). Instead, how [&h
Carnival Magic: Magic Spell!
Cruise Ship Review: Carnival Magic Spell! Get drawn into the newest member of Carnival’s fleet. By Lynn and Cele Seldon When the 3,690-passenger Carnival Magic sailed out of Venice on its maiden Mediterranean voyage this year, guests discovered why Carnival Cruise Lines’ newest ship is much more
Mediterranean Moments: Seabourn Quest
Rediscovering romance, adventure, and relaxation aboard Seabourn Quest By Jodi Ornstein Only parents of two young children would look forward to a 10-hour flight. Hours with nothing to do but read, sleep, and plan out the adventures that were ahead of us once we landed in Rome. It had been 10 years
15 Best Atriums at Sea
15 Best Atriums at Sea By Heidi Sarna A cruise ship atrium is like the vessel’s town square, and there’s often an eye-catching sculpture or architectural flourish that immediately attracts passengers to the area. “The atrium is fundamentally important,” says long-time Carnival interior archi