Jetting There: Travel Services
JETTING THERE: TRAVEL SERVICES Travel expert Johnny Jet shares several travel services that you might not even know exist. By Johnny Jet Obviously, I travel a lot. Otherwise I wouldn’t be writing this column. As a frequent traveler, I see things that the average person often ignores, which is a hu
Destination Discovery: Easter Island
DESTINATION DISCOVERY: EASTER ISLAND For Cruisers Who Have Done It All By Joyce Gregory Wyels Next Stop: Easter Island People voyage to this tiny speck of land in the South Pacific for one reason: to see for themselves those enigmatic great stone heads that have, quite literally, put Easter I
Like a Local: Rio de Janeiro
LIKE A LOCAL: RIO DE JANEIRO Sure, there are guidebooks that list every restaurant and attraction in destinations around the world. But Porthole’s “Like a Local” department goes straight to the natives, who truly know the way to go. By By Alexandra de Vries I have been living in Rio de Janeiro
Party of 1,000
PARTY OF 1,000 Create exclusive, lasting memories for your group on a charter cruise. By Chris Owen If being at sea for a special occasion is your idea of a great way to relax, unwind, or celebrate, why not bring along some friends? Better yet, why not bring along a whole bunch of friends, say [&hel
Sister, Sister
Sister, Sister Jan and Cindy Brady might disagree, but it’s not always the oldest sister who gets all the attention. In cruising, though there’s undeniable hoopla when a new ship in a new class debuts, it’s often the sister ships that represent new innovations and enticements that define the c
Join the Club: Astronomy
JOIN THE CLUB ASTRONOMY Sea-ing Stars A cruise ship is a perfect vantage point to study the sky. By Clark Norton During a 1998 cruise to Alaska, Neil Bauman — a self-described geek — recalls sitting on his verandah, alternately gazing at the glacial scenery and reading a technical manual about c
Jetting There: Miles and Points
JETTING THERE MILES AND POINTS Rack ’Em Up- Browse ’Til You Board Travel expert Johnny Jet shares his tips for getting the most out of your miles and points. By Johnny Jet Sometimes I wonder what life would be like without airline miles and hotel points. Ever since they were introduced by Americ
Destination Discovery: Russian Far East
DESTINATION DISCOVERY: RUSSIAN FAR EAST For Cruisers Who Have Done It All By Matt Hannafin Next Stop: Russian Far East . . . Welcome to the end of the earth, the place where East lies to the west of West. Sitting just two and a half miles from Alaska at its closest point and stretching […]
Like a Local – London
Sure, there are guidebooks that list every restaurant and attraction in destinations around the world. But Porthole’s “Like a Local” department goes straight to the natives, who truly know the way to go. By Amy Laughinghouse Five years ago, my husband received a job offer in a very 21st-centur
British Isles Drinks
BRITISH ISLES DRINKS I’ll Drink to That In the British Isles, you can tour age-old breweries, distilleries, and vineyards while toasting to a tradition that dates back almost 2,000 years. By Sarah Woods With more than several thousand vineyards, distilleries, and breweries scattered amongst the Br
Romance in Italy
ROMANCE IN ITALY That’s Amore! Italy offers opportunities for romance at every turn. By Germaine Stafford With its millennial history, magnificent countryside, and unparalleled culture, Italy has few competitors for the title of world’s most romantic country. From the heroic folly that is Venice
Galapagos: Wet and Wild
Lindblad Expeditions gets right into the heart of the Galapagos matter. By Fran Golden The blue-footed booby quizzically stared at me as I snapped his photo. If he’d been holding a camera, my guess is that his photo of me would have shown an equally curious expression. That’s the startling thing
Viking Odin: Try Me A River
Viking Odin: Try Me a River Why a river cruise in Europe should be on every traveler’s list. By Jodi Ornstein My parents were in a conundrum. After the first decade of their retirement years had taken them on cruises around the world — from the Caribbean to Alaska, Europe to Asia, the British Is
Rotterdam- to the Third Power
Rotterdam – to the Third Power A Porthole writer takes a trip down Holland America Line’s memory lane. By Ben Lyons Peering outside the windows of my water taxi as it sped down the River Maas in Rotterdam, I saw the gently curved stern of the former Holland America Line flagship ss Rotterdam. Fo
Jewish-Themed Cruises
JEWISH-THEMED CRUISES Mazel Tov! Everything you ever wanted to know about Jewish-themed cruises but were afraid to ask your rabbi. By Alison Lowenstein A Seder at sea? It’s not unheard of. Forget cruising’s misconceptions and start dreaming of Shabbat on a ship. From Passover to Purim, Jewish tr
Join the Club: Can You Sea PTV?
Can You Sea PTV? From airwaves to ocean waves, it’s smooth sailing for fans of public broadcasting shows. By Clark Norton Martha Danker, a self-confessed “public broadcasting groupie” from Everett, Washington, had an unusual item on her bucket list. She wanted to meet Gwen Ifill, moderator of
Food for Thought: Galley Gossip
FOOD FOR THOUGHT Galley Gossip Cruise line chefs dish about the challenges of cooking at sea. By Lynn and Cele Seldon When it comes to cruising, there’s one thing you can always count on: The food’s great and there’s lots of it. But how do ship chefs do it, given the unique challenges they fac
Flower Markets
World-famous flower markets are in full bloom By Heather Tucker Like in other parts of the world, in Belgium and the Netherlands, flowers signal the end of a dreary winter and the start of a blooming spring. Bouquets are cradled in the crook of a woman’s arm as she rides her bicycle through the co
Gota Canal
GOTA CANAL Steaming Through Sweden A century-old canal ship puts a new spin on Scandinavian cruising. By Barry Vaudrin Hans Christian Andersen did it. So did the king of Sweden and the wife of a U.S. senator. Crisscrossed Sweden, that is, with the 137-year-old Göta Canal Steamship Company (Göta is
Jetting There: Upgrades
JETTING THERE Movin’ on Up Travel expert Johnny Jet offers tips on how to get an upgrade. By Johnny Jet I’m all over the place. Each year, I fly at least 25 different airlines to about 20 countries around the world. I take cruises and rent cars and spend hundreds of nights in hotel rooms. [&hell
