Best Isolation Vacations For Summer 2020
My husband is a germaphobe. A normal trip to a theme park requires flu shots at least two weeks in advance, a prophylactic course of Emergen-C and eight ounces of hand sanitizer per person. We spend the day telling the kid, “Please don’t lick the handrails.” This year, when a grocery run requi
Yaaachts Queen! Cruising the Suez Canal
Today’s megaships grab headlines with the sheer grandeur of their size and their array of dazzling activities, while smaller ships counter with their focus on personalized attention and luxury amenities, touting a “yacht-like” experience. Taking it one step further with actual megayachts, two
Puerto Vallarta Takes First Step Towards Economic Recovery
The beautiful and popular cruise destination of Puerto Vallarta is taking the first steps towards reopening today after months of shutdowns and social distancing. May 18th marks the start of ‘phase 0’ of the State of Jalisco’s plan to recover economically from COVID-19. This phase of the proce
CRUISE RECIPE: Disney Cruises’ Best Cocktails!
I’m Hungry THIRSTY for a Cruise! At first, I was baffled. How on earth could Disney Cruise Line have some of the coolest cocktails at sea? And then I realized that if you’re dealing with as many exuberant kids as Disney does, it’s not surprising that you’d want a stiff drink now and ag
Floats My Boat: Love in the Wind
Just like a couple of eager kids, we grabbed each other’s hands and carefully stepped barefoot from the soft netting of our catamaran to the smooth metal edge of the bow. The lush, green mountains of Bora Bora were before us, turquoise water below. At that moment, our newlywed bond intensified. We
The Rough-Edge Corner of Costa Rica
Forget the platitudes about Costa Rica — the “safe” country, the “Switzerland of Central America,” all of that. If you cruise along the country’s northern Pacific edge, in Guanacaste Province, you’ll find nature in the raw, animals that would just as soon sting, maim, or eat you as loo
Choose Your Cruise – May 15, 2020
Happy Friday! Today on choose your cruise, we’ve got three options from around the world and YOU get to pick your favorite! Let us know which cruise you would pick in the comments below. Cruise A When it comes to exploring the world, few do it better than National Geographic. Their partn
Back to Basics on Oceania Insignia
It seems that, almost overnight, the concept of “vacation” changed from one of relaxation, merriment, and luxury to an “experiential” adventure, often characterized by backbreaking physical work or a grueling life and death struggle. I’m sorry, but that sounds way too much like my daily li
CRUISE RECIPE: Star Clippers’ Crème Brûlée
Hungry to Sail Again There I was, thinking home-made crème brûlée would be an ambitious undertaking. I was a tad intimidated by all those accent marks and doodads in the name and then, if that wasn’t enough, I discover you’re supposed to attack the thing with a blowtorch before serving.
Bookings Boom
We’ve been saying it since cruise lines began their pause in operation in March: there’s never been a better time to book a cruise. Well, apparently cruisers agree. When Carnival Cruise Line announced last week that they had a tentative plan in place to resume cruising on August 1st, it ma
MSC Grandiosa: The Name Says It All
In today’s cruise world, being good simply isn’t good enough. So when you are given a name like “Grandiosa,” expectations run high. MSC Cruises has pulled the plug on being good and gone all in on being spectacular with the launch of the new MSC Grandiosa. With Hamburg, Germany, decked out a
Orlando Ashford Stepping Down as President of Holland America Line
After six years as the President of Holland America Line, Orlando Ashford is saying goodbye to the cruise line. Ashford announced his decision in a press release today. The news comes just six days after Holland America Line decided to extend its pause of global cruise operations and cancel all Alas
5 Ways to Spend the Day in Ibiza
The Belearic island of Ibiza, Spain also referred to as the White Isle, is a little slice of heaven situated on the Mediterranean Sea. The illustrious superclubs and extravagant events have gained Ibiza an international reputation as a “party island.” While enjoying the wild nightlife is a must
The Mysterious Magic of the Venice Art Biennale
The Venice Art Biennale is the most important contemporary art show in the world. For six months every other year, it takes over the entire city of Venice. But it’s much more than an art show. If you are at all interested in art, architecture or just a lover of Venice, you should consider extendin
Nevis Announces They’re COVID-Free
When COVID-19 first began spreading globally, the island of Nevis in the Caribbean took an aggressive approach to fighting the virus and it appears those measures have paid off. The island’s Ministry of Health has declared the island free from COVID-19 after all four cases have successfully recove
CRUISE RECIPE: Viking Cruises’ Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Hungry to Sail Again Before today’s lockdown, I’d open my fridge and find a bottle or two of wine, condiments representing every corner of the globe and maybe some sliced turkey or ham that I’d slap on a wrap when the dinner hour approached. Now, the shelves are groaning under the weight
Blue Angels Salute COVID-19 Responders Over Miami
The sunny skies of South Florida were in for a treat today as the Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Squadron buzzed the skyline in a salute to COVID-19 responders working hard to flatten the curve and help those recovering from the virus. Operation “America Strong” flew over Jacksonville this mor
Choose Your Cruise – May 8, 2020
What’s better than getting a great deal on something? For today’s choose your cruise, we’ve got three of the best possible deals we could find on sailings from three of your favorite cruise lines. They all sail from the sunny shores of Miami so you can pick which one suites you bes
Carnival Corp CEO Talks COVID-19 Response with Porthole Cruise
How important is Carnival Corporation to the cruise industry? The conglomerate holds nine of cruising’s most recognizable brands and employs hundreds of thousands of people both here in America and on ships all over the world. That makes CEO of Carnival Corporation Arnold Donald one of the mo
Cruising to Genoa: Your Guide to a Day in Port
Cruise passengers arriving into Port Genoa are gliding through waters steeped in history and mystery. Some of the world’s most notorious explorers hail from this hearty seaport city, including none other than Christopher Columbus himself. In fact, an 18th-century reconstruction of the house in whi
