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 […]
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Disney Cruise Line Offering “Staycations” for UK Residents
Cruise lines received some much-needed good news earlier this month when the United Kingdom announced cruise lines would be able to resume operation starting in May. UK-based cruise lines jumped to start planning cruises and now another cruise line is getting in on the action. Disney Cruise Line is
Florida Governor Calls on CDC to Let Cruises Sail
At a roundtable discussion at Port Canaveral today, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Attorney General Ashley Moody and Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Kevin J. Thibault, P.E. called on the CDC to let cruise lines sail from American ports once again. Earlier this week, the CDC reaffirmed
Cunard Will Sail Queen Elizabeth in the UK This Summer
Perhaps the most famous of all the United Kingdom’s cruise lines, Cunard recently announced they would position their ship Queen Elizabeth in the United Kingdom between July and October 2021 in light of the UK allowing cruise ships to sail. The cruises will be a mix of British I
MSC Virtuosa Will Debut in the United Kingdom
Following along with most other cruise lines, MSC Cruises is deploying their new flagship for summer cruises along the British Isles. The ship’s maiden voyage will be May 20, as the first in a series of 3- and 4-night mini cruises before then beginning 7-night cruises June 12 with embarka
Porthole Cruise Passenger Association Makes Your Vacation More Affordable
Prior to 2020, there wasn’t another travel industry in the world changing as quickly as cruising. Long gone are the days of a one-size-fits-all vacation, instead cruise lines made a monumental shift towards unique destinations, curated experiences and a value-based vacation with something for ever
Windstar Cruises Makes Vaccines Mandatory
Another cruise line has made the decision to require a COVID-19 vaccine for passengers when they resume operation. Windstar Cruises made the decision based on the best health and wellness interests of its guests, crew, and the places their yachts visit. Christopher Prelog, Windstar’s Pres
Royal Caribbean Takes Delivery of Odyssey of the Seas
The latest ship from Royal Caribbean International is finally here! Odyssey of the Seas was delivered to the cruise line by Meyer Werft Yard in Papenburg, Germany in a ceremony attended by Royal Caribbean Group Chairman and CEO Richard D. Fain, President and CEO of Roya
Windstar Cruises’ New $500 Million Sea Submarine Initiative
You’ve cruised the high seas, now Windstar Cruises is aiming to give guests an exclusive look underneath the waves thanks to a new $500 million submarine initiative. Called Star Fish, the vessel has the ability to duck down below the surface to avoid choppy seas, resurfacing at sunny, unc
Royal Caribbean Extends Singapore Season to October
Since Royal Caribbean International began cruising from Singapore in December of 2020, more than 50,000 cruisers have sailed safely on board. As a result, Royal Caribbean International today announced Quantum of the Seas will continue sailing from Singapore through October 2
Choose Your Cruise – April 2, 2021
Cruising is back! We promise that’s not an April Fool’s Day prank, cruises are actually back and we are absolutely thrilled about it! Pretty much every major cruise line has announced their return date in places like the Mediterranean, the United Kingdom, Bermuda, the Bahamas and the Car
The CDC’s Technical Guidance for Cruise Ships Explained
In a classic Friday afternoon news dump, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an update to their conditional sail order with a number of new rules cruise lines will have to follow if they want to resume operation. After a week of taking heat from politicians, particularly in Florida
