MSC Seashore Naming Ceremony to Take Place at Ocean Cay
The newest ship from MSC Cruises will enjoy an extra-special naming ceremony according to a press release from the cruise line! MSC Seashore, which just entered service this summer, will be at Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve on November 18th for a naming ceremony featuring the Godmother of 16 MSC Cruis
Cruise Deal of the Week – October 8, 2021
Another week in the books! Wow does it seem like October is flying by. Before long we’ll all be getting our costumes ready for a fun Halloween evening and after that, it’s everyone’s favorite holiday season. We had some great news this week in the industry including new ships, new
Carnival Cruise Line Announces Additional Ship Restarts
Working towards the goal of its full fleet sailing from U.S. homeports by the spring of 2022, Carnival Cruise Line announced new ship restarts for January and February of 2022. According to the cruise line, Carnival Sunshine will restart from Charleston on January 13th and Carnival Liberty
World Premier: Cruising Back to Alaska with Holland America Line
Sail with Bill Panoff as he heads out on one of the first cruises back to Alaska with Holland America Line! We’ll explore popular excursions at ports of call, taste the best local foods and journey through scenic waterways aboard Holland America Line. Time Stamps: 0:00 – Introduction 0:1
Explora Journeys Begins Construction on Second Ship
It wasn’t long ago we heard the news that MSC Cruises was launching a new luxury cruise brand called Explora Journeys and now we have new details about the line’s second ship slated for Spring 2024. The steel cutting ceremony for EXPLORA II took place at the Fincantieri shipyard near Nap
Fall Foliage Outside New England
BABCOCK STATE PARK Clifftop, West Virginia Let other tourists watch Maine’s Acadia National Forest turn from green to red and gold this autumn. The real fall connoisseur turns to the spectacular woods of West Virginia’s New River Gorge, dotted with waterfalls, a fully functional old-fashio
The Summer of ‘21 Travel Resumes Tour
Making up for the travel drought of 2020, a four month summer escape in the midst of pandemic pandemonium was just what the doctor ordered. Flying in the face of highly touted CDC warnings and after 12 flight segments, 6 cruises, 7 hotels, 15 different beds and 15 negative COVID tests, I’m surpris
World Premier: Cruising Back to Alaska with Holland America Line
The day Alaska cruises opened up for Summer 2021 was a huge step forward for the cruise industry. Porthole Cruise and Travel Magazine Founder and Editor-in-Chief Bill Panoff couldn’t wait to get back on board a ship and visit one of cruising’s best regions. When Holland America Li
Aweigh We Go! Three Dream Destinations – St. Maarten, Athens, and Valletta
After ships sat idle for what seemed like an eternity, cruising has returned with a race to establish homeport advantage. Straight out of the gate, favorites like St. Maarten and Athens are making strong bids for prominence, and Malta is nosing ahead of a crowded field of Mediterranean options. Sail
Viking Sets Sail in Joint Venture with China Merchants
Viking has a new joint venture with China Merchants Shekou to offer 8-day China Coastal Cultural Cruises from Shenzhen Shekou Port and the first cruise left over the weekend. Viking first entered the Chinese cruise market around five years ago and since then, have established a reputa
Cruise Deal of the Week – October 1, 2021
If you were at Seatrade Cruise Global in Miami Beach all week then you probably didn’t notice those mornings growing colder and the days growing shorter. The rest of the country did, however, because it’s October 1st and that means we’re smack-dab in the middle of Fall! When the co
American Queen Steamboat Announces Rebrand with Victory Cruise Line
One of America’s most prominent steamboat river cruise companies used their platform at the Seatrade Cruise Global convention in Miami this week to announce a major rebrand with big implications for the future! American Queen Steamboat Company, the sister line of Victory Cruise Lines and a sub
Emerald Cruises to Build Second Superyacht Emerald Sakara
Not only does Emerald Cruises have another brand new superyacht on the horizon, but they’ve got a brand new place to sail it as well! The cruise line announced today that Emerald Sakara would join the fleet by 2023 and will offer cruises to the gorgeous Seychelles in the Indian Ocean. It will
First Loggerhead Turtles Hatch at Ocean Cay Marine Reserve
MSC Cruises’ new private island resort Ocean Cay Marine Reserve is popular with cruisers and sea turtles alike according to a press release from the cruise line! MSC Cruises announced that since August, hundreds of Loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings have made their way from egg to sand to s
What Makes the Caribbean the “Fifth C” in Buying Diamonds
They sparkle, glisten, and always capture attention. Yes, the waters of the Caribbean are enough of a reason to visit but the islands that make up some of the world’s top tourist destinations are also a great place to shop for a diamond as stunning as the azure Caribbean Sea. Plentiful and usually
Barcelona’s Backstreet Eats
It’s easy to find top name restaurants by perusing any guidebook, but discovering authentic eateries that locals keep for themselves is no easy task. While most visitors to Barcelona follow guidebook narrative and flock to the touted tourist trail of Las Ramblas, our challenge is always to seek ou
Cruise Deal of the Week – September 24, 2021
Summer officially ended this week but instead of feeling down about the upcoming cold weather, why not get into the Halloween spirit! You could carve a few pumpkins and start stockpiling candy, or you could book yourself a Halloween-themed cruise from the Port of Palm Beach and spend your October wi
Carnival Corporation Aims for 50% Fleet Restart by October
The largest cruise conglomerate in the world announced today they hope to have 50% of their fleet back in operation by the end of October and 65% of the fleet back by the New Year. Carnival Corporation was hit hard by the pandemic, but the news that their eight distinct cruise brands will have 42 [&
Alaska Cruise Countdown
What a great (albeit abbreviated) summer it has been for the great state of Alaska. For all the beauty, pristine wilderness and tales of gold that the state represents, the glitter faded when Canada’s pandemic-related travel restrictions took a toll on cruises last year. But thanks to forward-thin
American Cruise Lines CEO Talks American Melody, Return to Cruising
When American Cruise Lines became the first to resume operation in the U.S.A this past March 13th, it marked an important milestone for not just the cruise line, but the industry itself. Now, a few months later, more ships are starting up all over the country and many bear the American Cruise Lines
