Choose Your Cruise – March 26, 2021
This was a wild week in the cruise industry. CLIA and the CDC went back and forth about the Conditional Sail Order and several more cruise lines have concrete start dates in June cruisers can now book! Since we still can’t sail from American ports, these cruises leave from islands in the Baham
Costa Cruises Names Mario Zanetti as New President
When Neil Palomba departed his role with Costa Cruises last summer, he left some pretty big shoes to fill. We now know who will be filling those shoes as the cruise industry looks to bounce back from a tough year. Mario Zanetti has been promoted to President of Costa Cruises, taking a role tha
CLIA Tells CDC It’s Time to Cruise
When it comes to cruising, nobody knows more than CLIA. The Cruise Lines International Association is the world’s largest cruise industry trade association which represents 95% of global ocean-going cruise capacity. Today, the organization called on the Centers for Disease
St. Croix Cocktail Hour: Try the Breadfruit Vodka
Serendipity has provided a new take on the old adage, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. On the US Virgin Island of St. Croix it’s become when life gives you breadfruit, make vodka. Watching the short shelf life of ripened breadfruit go to waste on the ground post Hurricane Maria, founder
Saint Lucia Prepares for Summer Cruise Tourism
For the first time in a year, the island of St. Lucia is preparing to welcome back international cruise tourism. Royal Caribbean Cruise Line has jumpstarted the return of the cruise industry to Saint Lucia after more than a year of inactivity, naming the island as a port-of-call on a mid-July i
Costa Cruises to Resume Operation in May
Costa Cruises announced today they have a new timeline for restarting operation and we couldn’t be more excited about it! The cruise line is now planning on sailing May 1st on board their flagship Costa Smeralda calling on the Italian ports of Savona, La Spezia, Civitavecchia, Naples,&nbs
U.S. Virgin Islands Tourism Performs Well Despite Pandemic
U.S. Virgin Islands Commissioner of Tourism Joseph Boschulte shared some encouraging tourism numbers about the islands compared to the rest of the Caribbean. While the region as a whole saw a steep decline in visitors since March 2020, the U.S. Virgin Islands credit a smart, sensible publi
Celebrity Cruises Announces June 5th Return
There’s some excellent news to report from Celebrity Cruises this morning! Celebrity President and CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo announced this morning that the cruise line would return to service on June 5th from St. Maarten on board the recently renovated Celebrity Millennium! Bookings for the 7-nig
Choose Your Cruise – March 19, 2021
The United Kingdom has been in the news lately for a number of reasons. Cruisers may have been following the quarrels of the Royals, but we bet the news that the UK would allow cruise ships to sail starting in May was a bit more important! Before you pack your Wellies and your bowler hat […]
Mardi Gras Déjà Vu?
Who could have possibly known that when the original Mardi Gras embarked on March 11, 1972, it and its sister-ships would revolutionize the onboard experience, propel an upstart line into a cruising behemoth, perfect the paradise-probing possibilities the world over, and basically change everything
Can I Travel to Ireland?
Unfortunately, St. James Gate at the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin will remain closed this St. Patrick’s Day, but what about the rest of the country? The Emerald Isle sees more than 9 million tourists every year but for obvious reasons, that number sank in 2020 and now 2021 as well. Can people
Viking Ocean Cruises To Resume Operation in May 2021
The news that England would allow cruise ships to sail once again from UK ports starting in May came as a welcome surprise to cruisers and now we’re seeing cruise lines preparing to take advantage. Viking announced today that it will restart limited operations in May 2021 with three speci
Norwegian Cruise Line Suspends Cruises Until July
In a statement issued this morning, Norwegian Cruise Line announced they would be extending the suspension of operation through June 2021. They also temporarily halted bookings for cruises to Alaska due to the Government of Canada’s Interim Order which suspends passenger cruise ships calling
Virgin Voyages Will Require COVID-19 Vaccinations
It’s been a busy morning for Virgin Voyages President and CEO Tom McAlpin. In a statement released to USA Today, McAlpin announced COVID-19 vaccinations would be mandatory for passengers and crew when the cruise line returns to operation this summer. He then joined Good Morning America to
Cruising Returned to America This Weekend
For the first time in over a year, a cruise ship departed from an American port with passengers onboard. American Cruise Lines resumed service over the weekend and American Queen Steamboat Company is setting sail today and that is great news for cruisers! American Cruise Line set sail from Amelia Is
Choose Your Cruise – March 12, 2021
It was exactly one year ago today that Princess Cruises and Viking Cruises announced they’d be pausing operation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s truly unbelievable but here we are a year later on the cusp of a vaccine that will jumpstart the cruise industry and get everyone back to no
Alcatraz Cruises to Resume Prison Tour Operations
For the first time in over a year, Alcatraz Cruises will resume ferry service operations to Alcatraz Island beginning March 15, 2021. Alcatraz, an island in San Francisco Bay, grew to infamy as a federal prison home to a whole host of unsavory characters like notorious mobster Al Capone. The is
Traditional Tlingit Tastes
The Last Frontier, otherwise known as Alaska, has always maintained a certain mystique to those in the Lower 48. One of the least populated and visited states in the country, many travelers have misconceptions of Alaska, its economy, its landscape, the food, and, naturally, its people. And nowhere i
WATCH:MSC Lirica Damaged by Fire
Anyone in and around the port of Corfu, Greece today saw something very unsettling, a cruise ship on fire. Black smoke and flames could be seen billowing from the starboard side of MSC Lirica as it sat in port early in the afternoon. It took local fire fighters around an hour to put out th
Cruises to Resume in the UK on May 17th
Cruising may be sailing out of England sooner than we thought! United Kingdom Maritime Minister Robert Courts appeared in a virtual meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Maritime and Group and announced the return of domestic cruising in the region starting May 17, 2021. The decision comes aft
