Carnival Feast – A sneak peek at Carnival Vista is more than mouthwatering.
Monday Mantra Hooked … Hooked … Hooked … A sneak peek at Carnival Vista is more than mouthwatering. If you have a serious cruise addiction, particularly if you’ve had it for decades, chances are you can trace it back to Carnival Cruise Line. Carnival’s kind of like the cruise fan’s Marlb
Oceania Enthusiasm – When you can’t believe cruising can be like this.
Monday Mantra Oooooceania!…Ooooooceania!….Ooooooceania! Oceania Enthusiasm: When you can’t believe cruising can be like this ✓ A prestigious luxury cruise line. ✓ A stunning 684-passenger mid-size ship. ✓ Award-winning dining. ✓ Regular New York departures. ✓ Fabulous Bulgari
Design Time: Queen Mary 2
Behind the Remastering of Queen Mary 2 By Fran Golden When your task is to redesign and contemporize the 12-year-old Queen Mary 2, Cunard Line’s flagship ocean liner, you know a lot of eyes will be watching. Many cruisers dream of crossing the Atlantic aboard this iconic ship, so when it came time
MSC Cruises for Kids
Kids of all kinds will find something to love aboard MSC Cruises. By Jodi Ornstein Ahhhh, cruising. Days spent relaxing on deck with the sun in your face and a drink in your hand. Miles and miles of blue ocean and skies, hours and hours to spend with a good book on your balcony. This […]
Comforts of Home
Monday Mantra Something’s Missing … Something’s Missing … Something’s Missing … It’s strange what you miss while having the time of your life. By this time, you’ve probably figured out that I love to cruise — aboard big ships, small ships, yachts, riverboats, and expedition ships.
The Show Must Go Onboard – Cruise entertainment has really grown up.
Monday Mantra That’s Entertainment! … THAT’S Entertainment?? … That’s Entertainment! … THAT’S Entertainment?? … Cruise entertainment has really grown up I endured lousy comedians and jugglers. I attended an hour-long zither concert. I put up with marginally talented s
Five Faves: Saluting the First Nations
Porthole’s Five Faves Saluting the First Nations We kicked off the week with Indigenous Peoples’ Day, the annual recognition of the accomplishments and heritage of the first Americans. Some of their music, food, art forms, and history will seem familiar to seasoned cruisers, thanks to eye-openin
Time and Tide and Major Hurricanes….
Monday Mantra Any port in a storm…Any port in a storm…Any port in a storm… Time and Tide and Major Hurricanes…. How do cruises cope with stormy weather? My heart goes out to everyone whose cruise was cancelled, rerouted, or adjusted because of the devastating power of Hurricane Matthew.
Five Faves: Bountiful Barbados
Bountiful Barbados Five things you MUST eat and drink when your cruise calls on Bridgetown. We believe that the best way to appreciate the true local flavor of a new destination is to actually … well … taste it. From patties in Jamaica to ceviche on Cozumel, we’re big fans of Caribbean cuisine
Don’t Remind Me – I’m on vacation. What else do I really need to know?
Monday Mantra I forgot! … I forgot! … I forgot! … Don’t Remind Me I’m on vacation. What else do I really need to know? The first thing I do when I arrive at my cruise port is buy a toothbrush to replace the one I left on the sink at home after brushing my […]
Five Faves: National Drink Beer Day
The two greatest things you can do today — it being National Drink Beer Day — are 1) drink beer and 2) plan ahead for future beer-drinking. A broken clock may be right twice a day, but a broken calendar will be wrong all year long. That’s unless you simply live your year according to […
Crew Woo – Sure, the uniforms were hard to resist. At least on board….
Monday Mantra The Love Boat … The Love Boat … The Love Boat … Sure, the uniforms were hard to resist. At least on board…. I wonder how Lois and Stefano are doing. I met Lois on an m.v. Homeric cruise a million years ago and on that sailing, she met Stefano, a navigation officer. […]
A Southern Lady in the Big Apple – American Duchess is one mighty fine riverboat.
Monday Mantra A Real Peach … A Real Peach … A Real Peach … A Southern Lady in the Big Apple American Duchess is one mighty fine riverboat. Once in a while, cruise writers — even lowly freelance ones like myself — find themselves at cool press events where industry announcements are made. W
Five Faves: Cruise Blooms
While the rest of the hemisphere prepares for fall, these ports are in full flower. Think you know your cruise destinations? We’ve picked five popular ports, each known for its lush, tropical foliage – and each with a gorgeous national flower. Match the bloom to the country to pass this
Tropical Snow Job – Bikini babes and a whole lotta blow made this world cruise one for the books.
Monday Mantra Busted!…Busted!…Busted! Bikini babes and a whole lotta blow made this world cruise one for the books. Two weeks ago, authorities arrested three Canadian cruise ship passengers after police and sniffer dogs searching Princess Cruises’ Sea Princess found cocaine inside two
Lost-o-phobia – The irrational fear of having to live without whatever you packed.
Monday Mantra Luggage Lunatic … Luggage Lunatic … Luggage Lunatic Lost-o-phobia (n. | lȯst-ə-ˈfō-bē-ə) The irrational fear of having to live without whatever you packed. It doesn’t matter that I’ve been cruising for more than 35 years and have never once experienced the loss of a bag.
Five Faves: At Sea, In Session
Back-to-school excitement doesn’t have to be wasted on the youth … or on land for that matter! As the kiddies are prepping for another year of pencils, books, and teacher’s dirty looks, it’s not unusual for us adults to feel a wee bit jealous. Who knew all those years spent sulking at a clas
All Aboard the SS Christener! – There’s got to be a better way to name a new vessel.
Monday Mantra A Ship by Any Other Name … A Ship by Any Other Name … A Ship by Any Other Name … All Aboard the SS Christener! There’s got to be a better way to name a new vessel. Baffled, I am. Simply baffled. Over the past decades we have seen nothing short of […]
Princess Cruises Unveils Designs and Key Features for Majestic Princess
Princess Cruises Unveils Designs and Key Features for Majestic Princess Cruise News – August 24, 2016 Princess Cruises has unveiled designs and announced key features of its newest ship, Majestic Princess, which departs April 4 on her inaugural voyage, a 5-day Adriatic Sea cruise roundtrip
Design Time: Viking Sea’s Nordic Décor
Home Is Where the Heritage Is Viking Sea shows off Nordic culture through its onboard décor. By Jason Leppert In many ways Viking Ocean Cruises’ newest ship, Viking Sea, is a welcome return to basics — comfortable destination-based cruise travel at its heart and soul without any unnecessary bel
