Going Home to Holland America Line – A familiar ship can feel like an old friend.
Monday Mantra I’m coming back!… I’m coming back!… I’m coming back! Going Home to Holland America Line A familiar ship can feel like an old friend. It’s been quite a while since I sailed Holland America Line but I’ll be returning to the line on July 4 when my friend Rosemary and I sail
Five Faves: Father’s Day Gift Upgrades
Porthole’s Five Faves Father’s Day Gift Upgrades Just as Father knows best, he also deserves the best. Rather than going with the same ol’ standbys, allow the magic of cruising to enhance your Father’s Day gift. Father’s Day is only a few shopping days away, but planning your present could
Man the Baby Stations! – We’ve got a ship-load of kids ahead!
Monday Mantra Kids on Board!… Kids on Board!… Kids on Board! Man the Baby Stations! We’ve got a ship-load of kids ahead! Sometimes — not often, but sometimes — I’m wrong about children. Like Antoine. Antoine, about 2 years old, was perched on his mom’s lap in the seat next to m
Flash Back – The old cruise photographers might have been worth a thousand words after all.
Monday Mantra Picture this… Picture this… Picture this… Flash Back The old cruise photographers might have been worth a thousand words after all Here’s a picture of me with a double chin and my eyes closed. Here’s another of me with my mouth full, my jaw sort of twisted as I chew a mouthfu
Marketplace, Ahoy! We’re shipping out for shopping!
Monday Mantra A bazaar reason to cruise… A bazaar reason to cruise… A bazaar reason to cruise… Marketplace, Ahoy! We’re shipping out for shopping! Fact: I love to shop in foreign lands. Another fact: I once went on a cruise specifically to buy a new wallet. Ironically, the wallet I was out t
Sympathy for the Sticky-Fingered
Monday Mantra I plead guilty…I plead guilty…I plead guilty… Sympathy for the Sticky-Fingered It’s hard not to want to take a little piece of paradise home with you. Shiplifter (ship-lift-er) n.: One who disembarks from a cruise with stemware, dishware, linens, ashtrays, or other items clearl
Five Faves: Sea-centric Songs
Porthole’s Five Faves Sea-centric Songs Enya may have created the sounds most synonymous with sailing away, but it’s not the only song in the key of cruising. If you were putting together the typical cruising soundtrack, it would need to include the Love Boat theme, a dozen Bob Marley son
Routine Reminders – Cruise memories last a lifetime
Monday Mantra A Shipload of Memories…A Shipload of Memories…A Shipload of Memories… Routine Reminders Cruise memories last a lifetime. Nothing drives home how frequently my husband and I sailed more than the heartbreaking task of sifting through Michael’s possessions since his death on April
Here’s to you, and to me, and to all the ships at sea! (Why does cruising wake up the inner imbiber?)
Monday Mantra Cruisin’ for a boozin’…Cruisin’ for a boozin’…Cruisin’ for a boozin’… Here’s to you, and to me, and to all the ships at sea! Is it the rum? Or just the vacation spirit? Why does cruising wake up the inner imbiber? Do I like to drink? I might say I do, but the re
Five Faves: Serenity Now
Porthole‘s Five Faves Serenity Now Five Favorite Cruise Moments to Savor Ask any cruiser about their favorite moments on deck, and you’ll likely find the list is long and varied. But when it comes to those aaaahhhh moments, there are certain snapshots of time spent on board that define the w
Remembering Michael
Monday Mantra May he rest in peace… May he rest in peace… May he rest in peace… Remembering Michael Calling on Bermuda, and points beyond…. When I signed up to do this blog last May, I understood that I’d be contributing lighthearted and silly humor pieces to Porthole.com. Never did I imag
Five Faves – Absolutely True Cruise News
Cruise Port Reno? New Line Breaks Ground on Post-Climate-Change Megaship Hub Absolutely True Cruise News – Apr. 1, 2015 Citizens of the Lake Tahoe area are bracing for a boom in business, thanks to a brand-new cruise line laying the groundwork for a port facility on the California-Nevada border. T
One Cruise at a Time – The first step is admitting you have a cruising problem.
Monday Mantra I need a fix… I need a fix… I need a fix… One Cruise at a Time The first step is admitting you have a cruising problem. On one hand, there are the casual cruise vacationers. They are those who might mention they’re going on a cruise but, when pressed for details, won’t [&hell
Not Exactly Homesick. Ever get that queasy feeling now that the cruise is almost over?
Monday Mantra Home, bleak home…Home, bleak home…Home, bleak home… Not Exactly Homesick Ever get that queasy feeling now that the cruise is almost over? Somewhere between the moment you place your luggage outside your cabin door on the final night of your cruise and 7:00 a.m. the following morn
Save us. The muster drill isn’t fun or fabulous. But at least it’s fast.
Monday Mantra Report to your muster station… Report to your muster station… Report to your muster station… Save us. The muster drill isn’t fun or fabulous. But at least it’s fast. There’s no question that some important things in life are a bother: dental checkups, airport security, holi
The Judi’s Choice Awards – It’s time we recognized the little things that make cruising great.
Monday Mantra And the winner is…And the winner is…And the winner is…. The Judi’s Choice Awards It’s time we recognized the little things that make cruising great. We all love Porthole Cruise Magazine’s “Readers’ Choice Awards,” those annual, prestigious honors that are determined e
Gear Up, Wind Down… Add on a few pre- and post-cruise nights for that much-needed vacation buffer
Monday Mantra Before and After… Before and After… Before and After… Gear Up, Wind Down… Add on a few pre- and post-cruise nights for that much-needed vacation buffer. If your cruise were a sandwich, a “pre” and “post” stay in your port of embarkation would be the bread that surrounds
Five Faves: Don’t Miss This Kiss
Porthole‘s Five Faves Don’t Miss This Kiss Five places to sneak a smooch on a cruise We began our courtship on a cruise ship, dancing salsa outdoors on a warm Caribbean night aboard Oceania Marina. As two travel writers, we actually “dated” on cruises to Europe, Asia, Alaska, the
Motion of the Ocean – When there’s high seas, are you highly queasy?
Monday Mantra Don’t rock the boat, baby…Don’t rock the boat, baby…Don’t rock the boat, baby Motion of the Ocean When there’s high seas, are you highly queasy? The only thing I hate more than people who can eat anything and not gain weight are people who never, ever get seasick. Take my h
On the Tip of My Tongue – How do you say “No hablo Español” in cruiser?
Monday Mantra Watch your language… Watch your language… Watch your language… On the Tip of My Tongue How do you say “No hablo Español” in cruiser? My high-school Spanish class didn’t really focus on the vocabulary a girl needs to adequately prepare herself for international travel. I do
