Vatican VIP – Miracles Do Happen
Monday Mantra It’s a Miracle … It’s a Miracle … It’s a Miracle Vatican VIP Room to breathe, a papal address — this is a trip with a difference. Life is full of surprises. Like today, I saw the Pope. Bam! Just like that. I guess I should explain that I’m in Rome
The Judi’s Choice Awards 2018
The Monthly Mantra And the winners are in! … And the winners are in! … And the winners are in! It’s time for the Judi’s Choice Awards and this year my head is spinning! 2018 has seen explosive developments in the cruise industry, big and small, far and near – so here are this year’s
Packing is Such Sweet Sorrow
The Monthly Mantra Packin’ it in … Packin’ it in … Packin’ it in … It’s late afternoon the day before disembarkation and I’m on my balcony gazing out at the ocean, serenaded by the gentle swish of the waves. But ever so subtly, I find myself bracing for the transition from carefree h
Isn’t it good? Norwegian Bliss!
The Monthly Mantra Yeah Yeah Yeah … Yeah Yeah Yeah … Yeah Yeah Yeah …. If you ask people which period of history they would have loved to experience, chances are you’ll get some highfalutin responses: The time of Christ, the Renaissance, the Middle Ages. Not me. If I could travel back in his
My Head’s in the (Sea) Clouds
The Monthly Mantra My Head’s in a Sea Cloud…My Head’s in a Sea Cloud…My Head’s in a Sea Cloud… A pair of Christian Louboutin red-soled stilettos A quilted black leather CHANEL drawstring hobo with chain straps A sailing with the uber-exclusive Sea Cloud Cruises Those are really the only
A Little Luxury Becomes Me
There may be higher-level accommodations aboard Oceania Cruises’ Marina but my way-more-affordable Concierge-Class stateroom and all its perks knocked my socks — or should I say flip-flops — off during my amazing 12-day French Polynesia sailing. Let’s begin with my Marina cabin itself:
Total Eclipse: Celebrity Cruises is the perfect backdrop for a music cruise.
The Monthly Mantra I loved the Eclipse! … I loved the Eclipse! … I loved the Eclipse! And I’m not talking about that thing last August where, in New York at least, we all piled out of our office buildings with silly glasses on to watch something that turned out to look like nothing mor
Cruising Then and Now
Monday Mantra I want to cruise TODAY…I want to cruise TODAY…I want to cruise TODAY… I’m an old-fashioned kind of girl. There’s not a whole lot in today’s world that I consider superior to what existed 35 years ago. Except for the ATM Machine. And cruising. Memories of my early sailings a
Wear-everrr! Why does cruising bring out our inner fashion plate?
Monday Mantra All decked out…All decked out…All decked out… Wear-everrr! Why does cruising bring out our inner fashion plate? Confession #1: Sometimes I go to work wearing clothes that are so wrinkled they look like I just grabbed them out of my laundry bag. Confession #2: I did just grab them
Glorious Food – Singing the Praises of Cruise Cuisine
Singing the praises of cruise cuisine I’m hungry for a cruise…I’m hungry for a cruise…I’m hungry for a cruise… One of the most vivid memories I have of my first cruise is a towering Statue of Liberty carved out of butter. She stood majestically at the foot of Carnival Mardi Gras’ midni
The 2017 Judi’s Choice Awards
Monthly Mantra Judi’s Choice Awards…Judi’s Choice Awards…Judi’s Choice Awards… And the Winners Are! Cruising has plenty of biggest, first, and most wonderful accomplishments. The Judi’s Choice Awards recognize the best of the rest. Best cuisine. Best service. Best entertainment. Yawn.
Go Small – The big advantages to small-ship cruising with UnCruise Adventures
The Monthly Mantra A Whole Lot of Un … A Whole Lot of Un … A Whole Lot of Un … Go Small The big advantages to small-ship cruising “No key card?? No big metal key attached to a 6-inch slab of plastic?? No little gizmo that electronically opens my cabin door as I approach […]
A Trio of Exciting Cruise Soirées
Monthly Mantra I Love New York…I Love New York…I Love New York… A Trio of Exciting Cruise Soirées There’s been a flurry of New York–based cruise events lately, and since I’m here in the Big Apple, and the fine folks of Florida-based Porthole Cruise Magazine are not, I’m often their gi
My Cruise Calling … or Not
Monthly Mantra The Not-So-Specialist…The Not-So-Specialist…The Not-So-Specialist… My Cruise Calling … or Not In 2008, I, along with many workers in the United States, found myself unemployed. In my case, it was after nearly 30 years in the corporate publishing world, where I watched as human
Who’s Cruising Now?
Monday Mantra Mistaken Identity … Mistaken Identity … Mistaken Identity … Who’s Cruising Now? We cruise to get away from it all … maybe even from who we really are. “Oh, that’s wonderful! Congratulations!” I squealed with glee and grabbed Darren’s shoulder when he revealed that he
Cruise Along at Home
Monday Mantra View from the Bridge … View from the Bridge … View from the Bridge … Cruise Along at Home Let’s hear it for webcams! Aren’t we lucky to live in this age of high technology? Okay, I’m not delighted that we can be reached 24/7 but when we’re stuck at home wishing we [&helli
5 Fave Media-Themed Cruises
Porthole’s 5 Faves #WAKENEWS As the leading media authority on cruises and numbered lists, Porthole knows exactly how much the following media outlets 1) work tirelessly on land and 2) are gonna love partying at sea! For years, the editors of Porthole Cruise Magazine have daydreamed about char
Condo Cruising – MSC Seaside has the ultimate rooms with a view.
Monday Mantra Under construction … Under construction … Under construction … Condo Cruising MSC Seaside has the ultimate rooms with a view. There are very few cruise-related things that I have no desire to experience and I always believed a shipyard visit was one of them. I mean, yeah, it migh
5 Faves: Cruiser Friendly, Kid Approved!
Porthole’s 5 Faves Cruiser Friendly, Kid Approved! Five favorite onboard activities for children Today is Take Your Child to Work Day and mom is insisting it is not just a day off for us. So she assigned me (age 11) and my sister Jenna (age 7) to work together and write a blog about what [&hel
It Won’t Break the Bank, But…
Monday Mantra Guilty … Guilty … Guilty … It Won’t Break the Bank, But… Feeling nickel-and-dimed on board? Or are you a penny-pinching pro? If you ever doubt the goodness of mankind, eavesdrop on a conversation among cruise fans. Smuggling alcohol, swiping a towel, or sharing a beverage pac
