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
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
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
Alaska Like New with UnCruise Adventures
For centuries, Alaska has represented a challenge to be conquered by resilient people seeking a new path to blaze forward. Thus, this beautiful and highly sought-after destination also represents the perfect backdrop for the beginning of the comeback story for cruising. UnCruise Adventures, the smal
NCL CEO Talks Cruising Restart and the Future of the Cruise Line
It must have been quite the sight for the people of Icy Strait Point to see a cruise ship finally call on their brand new pier. The new development was built through a partnership between Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings and Huna Totem Corporation, village corporation owned Alaska Native sharehol
Silversea Reveals New 2023/2024 Itinerary Collection
Citing a strong demand for cruises, luxury line Silversea today released a host of new itineraries for their 2023/2024 calendar. The unveiling is the cruise line’s largest-ever destination offering in a single itinerary launch. Silversea’s new 2023/2024 itinerary collection feature
Norwegian Cruise Line Ready to Restart from Greece
After well over a year, Norwegian Cruise Line is all set to return to service on board their ship Norwegian Jade! The ship is scheduled to set sail from Port of Piraeus outside of Athens, Greece on Sunday, July 25th on a seven-day itinerary to the Greek Isles with calls on Crete, Rhodes, Mykonos, Ke
Cruise Deal of the Week – June 4, 2021
Ladies and Gentlemen, we made it! For the past year, we’ve been writing Choose Your Cruise because the future of cruising was so murky. But, thankfully, we’re back to everyone’s favorite column, the Cruise Deal of the Week! Now that cruising is on the cusp of a return, we’re
Silversea Will Cruise to Alaska and Iceland in July
With the passage of the U.S. Alaska Tourism Restoration Act, luxury cruise line Silversea will position their ship Silver Muse for round-trip sailings from Seattle to Alaska starting July 29. The cruise line previously announced a return to cruising from Greece and to the Galápa
Norwegian Cruise Line Announces Return to Alaska
Norwegian Cruise Line announced this morning that they’re planning to return to operation in Alaska starting on August 7, 2021. Norwegian Bliss will sail weeklong voyages from Seattle with calls on Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan and Icy Strait Point, Alaska. Selection voyages will also featur
Choose Your Cruise – May 21, 2021
Yesterday was a great day for cruising! First we had Royal Caribbean International hinting that recent conversations have them under the impression that cruising is coming back sooner rather than later. Then we had the U.S. House of Representatives pass the Alaska Tourism Recovery Act by a unanimous
Alaska Tourism Recovery Act May Save the Cruise Season
UPDATE May 20, 2021: The U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed H.R. 1318: The Alaska Tourism Recovery Act. The bill will now head to the desk of President Joe Biden for approval. Alaskan Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan have been vocal over the past few
From Russia With Love: Matryoshka Nesting Dolls
Matryoshka dolls are an instantly recognizable symbol of Russia. They can take on many forms, but are always a series of wooden dolls of decreasing sizes that fit one inside the other, typically painted to represent either traditional Russian folklife or more topical or satirical themes. It has be
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
Traditional Tlingit Tastes
The Last Frontier, otherwise known as Alaska, has always maintained a certain mystique to those in the Lower 48. One of the least populated and visited states in the country, many travelers have misconceptions of Alaska, its economy, its landscape, the food, and, naturally, its people. And nowhere i
Princess Cancels More Sailings Due to Canada Cruise Ban
Along with their Carnival Corporation brand sister line Holland America, Princess Cruises was forced to cancel select Alaska, Canada, New England and Pacific Coast cruises in 2021. Earlier this month, Canadian Transport Ministry announced an Interim Order that extends the closure of Canadian po
Holland America Cancels Cruises That Depart or Conclude in Canadian for 2021
When Canada banned cruise ships from visiting their ports until 2022, it created a whole host of headaches for cruise lines. We’re now starting to see the repercussions of that decision as Holland America Line has paused all sailings that depart from or conclude in a Canadian port in 2021
Canada Bans Cruise Ships Until February 2022
In an effort to “monitor the evolving COVID-19 pandemic and the impact it is having on the marine and tourism sectors,” Canada has issued two new Interim Orders which prohibit pleasure craft in Canadian Arctic waters and cruise vessels in all Canadian waters until February 28, 2022.
Let’s Fully Appreciate Alaska’s Glaciers
“Have a taste,” my guide on Alaska’s Mendenhall Glacier says, handing me a canteen cup he’s just filled at a tumbling freshet on the slope we’re climbing. “It’s pretty good.” The frigid, aquamarine water is indeed quite good — as cold as water can get, highly oxygenated by bouncing
Choose Your Cruise – October 23, 2020
Halloween is right around the corner and the scariest thing cruisers can think of is spending a full nine months on land. Knock on wood, we’re at the tail end of this pandemic and that means you can start planning your 2021 cruise with supreme confidence. Check out the three cruises below and
