What’s showing aboard Costa Diadema?… and more – Cruise News – Sept. 26, 2014.
What’s showing aboard Costa Diadema? Cruise News – Sept. 26, 2014 Costa Cruises teased out details of entertainment options aboard Costa Diadema, the line’s new 3,734-passenger flagship. Expect everything from Irish step dancing to a laser play area. New shows in the three-level
Five Faves: Insomniac-tivities (Why should all the cruise fun be had while under the sun?)
Porthole’s Five Faves Insomniac-tivities Why should all the cruise fun be had while under the sun? “…In heavy seas you feel rocked to sleep, the windows’ spume a gentle shushing, engines’ throb a mother’s pulse.” In David Foster Wallace’s beloved ode to cruising, he sho
Till Death Do We Debark
Monday Mantra I DO love cruising…I DO love cruising…I DO love cruising… Till Death Do We Debark Cruise with me, my love… on the sea, the sea of love…. My husband, Michael, and I have been married 17 years, but it could have been a lot longer if only the gods that controlled our respective
Carnival Guarantees Satisfaction – Again – Cruise News, Sept. 19, 2014
Carnival Guarantees Satisfaction – Again. Cruise News – Sept. 19, 2014 Carnival Cruise Lines said it is continuing its “Great Vacation Guarantee” through 2015. The promise to consumers is a 110 percent refund, transportation home, and a $100 shipboard credit for use on a future cruis
Newest Holland Ship Gets a Name – Cruise News, Sept. 19, 2014
Newest Holland Ship Gets a Name. Cruise News – Sept. 19, 2014 Holland America Line’s new 2,650-passenger ship, currently under construction in Italy and set for debut in 2016, will be called Koningsdam. The Pinnacle-class ship will be the cruise line’s largest ever built. While the 141
Mmmm, Beer – Cruise News, Sept. 19, 2014
Mmmm, Beer. Cruise News – Sept. 19, 2014 Princess Cruises is jumping on the craft-beer craze with special-branded brews, including Seawitch West Coast IPA. The name “seawitch” comes from the iconic Princess mermaid logo. The beer honors the line’s 50th anniversary. The IPA was
What’s in the Blue Lagoon? … and more – Cruise News, Sept. 19, 2014
What’s in the Blue Lagoon? Cruise News – Sept. 19, 2014 Porthole is in Reykjavik this week, attending the Society of American Travel Writers annual conference. So we took the opportunity to visit the Blue Lagoon, Iceland’s manmade, geothermal spa. While we feared it might be overly tourist
Five Faves: Culinary Keepsakes – dining experiences at sea
Porthole’s Five Faves Culinary Keepsakes Five favorite dining experiences at sea Ask any cruiser and chances are they will admit that food is key to their overall shipboard experience. While there’s no doubt that today’s cruise ships serve cuisine that rivals top-notch, land-based restaurants
See the world … from the deck of your cruise ship!
Monday Mantra I want to stay on board…I want to stay on board…I want to stay on board See the world… from the deck of your cruise ship! Sometimes, a lounge chair and a cold drink is all you need. Sometimes you meet some nutty people on a cruise, and I’d written Larry off as […]
Free Internet on Oceania… and more – Cruise News – Sept. 12, 2014
Cruise News – Sept. 12, 2014 Oceania offers free Internet Oceania Cruises has joined the list of cruise lines providing guests in Suite- and Concierge-Level staterooms with free Internet access. The perk begins this winter for guests booked in Owner’s, Vista, and Oceania suites who will
Uniworld’s Passage to India – Cruise News – Sept. 12, 2014
Cruise News – Sept. 12, 2014 Uniworld’s passage to India River cruise line Uniworld is adding India to its list of destinations, announcing plans to add river cruises on the Ganges beginning January 2016. The 12-day India’s Golden Triangle & the Sacred Ganges itinerary, from New De
MSC Armonia gets bigger – Cruise News – Sept. 12, 2014
Cruise News – Sept. 12, 2014 MSC Armonia gets bigger MSC Cruises this week began the process of physically enlarging its 1,556-passenger MSC Armonia — extending the length of the ship by nearly 80 feet. To do this, workers at the Fincantieri shipyard in the Sicilian city of Palermo actually
Five Faves: Cruise Soundtracks – These recent releases can take your next vacation to music paradise.
Porthole’s Five Faves Five favorite cruise soundtracks These recent releases can take your next vacation to music paradise. Sure, there’s all kinds of groovy music on board: piano standards drifting elegantly from the atrium, Broadway tunes belted from a stage, a calypso band crooning poolside i
The Post-Cruise Inbox Blues
Monday Mantra I will stay connected…I will stay connected…I will stay connected… The Post-Cruise Inbox Blues Disconnecting is great, but you have to come back sometime. Last week, a coworker of mine returned to the office after a 7-day cruise to find 1,400 emails in her inbox. FOURTEEN HUN
Cruise News — September 5, 2014 – Music Stars Booked for Fantastic Voyage
Cruise News — September 5, 2014 Music Stars Booked for Fantastic Voyage Earth Wind & Fire, R. Kelly, Jennifer Hudson, TLC, and LL Cool J will be among those performing on an upcoming Tom Joyner Foundation Fantastic Voyage benefit cruise. The superstar lineup, billed as “The Ultimate Par
Cruise News — September 5, 2014 – MSC Goes Inclusive
Cruise News — September 5, 2014 MSC Goes Inclusive MSC Cruises is launching its new pricing structure, “Inclusive Experiences,” on its Miami-based MSC Divina. Passengers can choose from four “experience” levels ranging from a la carte to all-inclusive, depending on what you want whi
Cruise News — September 5, 2014 – Celebrity Century Sold to Chinese Travel Company
Cruise News — September 5, 2014 Celebrity Century Sold to Chinese Travel Company In a move that may make fans nostalgic, Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Century is heading to China. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. is selling the ship to Exquisite Marine Ltd., a holding company led by Ctrip.com Int
Cruise News — September 5, 2014 – Norwegian Gains Oceania and Regent in $3 Billion Deal
Cruise News — September 5, 2014 Norwegian Gains Oceania and Regent in $3 Billion Deal Norwegian Cruise Line CEO Kevin Sheehan has inked a $3.025 billion deal to buy Prestige Cruises International, parent company of deluxe line Oceania Cruises and luxury all-inclusive line Regent Seven Seas Cruises
In the Mood for a Moody Blues Cruise?
In the Mood for a Moody Blues Cruise? This 50-something sure was! By Judi Cuervo I’m in the first row of MSC Divina’s Pantheon Theatre balcony and directly beneath me, Roger Daltrey of The Who is swinging a microphone over his head like a cowboy preparing to pitch a lasso. My friend Dorie and I
What’s the Best River Cruise Line?
River Cruise of Dreams Options abound for cruisers seeking a river experience. By Fran Golden Whether to sip wine in Bordeaux or visit a world of fairytale villages and vine-covered hillsides along the Rhine and Danube, river cruising suddenly seems to be on everyone’s bucket list. Walking right o
