Reaching The Apex
apex [ ey-peks ] noun,: the uppermost point, the highest or culminating point, peak, summit, climax. The latest addition to Celebrity Cruises’ fleet has been christened in perfect agreement with Webster’s Dictionary. Fifteen months of pandemic patience has been rewarded with the long-awaited lau
Windstar Cruises Adds All-Inclusive Pricing Options
One of the most popular small ship luxury cruise lines is changing the way they sell cruises. Windstar Cruises announced today that the cruise line would now be offering all-inclusive cruise vacations where guests pay a flat fee for their booking which includes the base cruise fare, unlimi
Dr. Lucille O’Neal Named Godmother of Carnival Radiance
She spent years watching her son Shaquille dominate the basketball court, now Dr. Lucille O’Neal has a new responsibility in her life; Godmother of the recently transformed Carnival Radiance coming this December following a $200 million drydock refurbishment and renaming from th
World Travel & Tourism Council Says Travel Rebounded in 2021
A new report from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) reveals that the U.S. travel and tourism sector is on pace for year-over-year growth in 2021 of nearly 36%, a number that well exceeds the global tourism recovery. The best news? It’s looking like 2022 could be even better!&n
Richard Fain Steps Down as Royal Caribbean Group CEO
Cruisers woke up to some monumental news in the industry this morning. Richard Fain, one of the most recognizable people in cruising, has announced he’s stepping down as Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Caribbean Group after more than 33 years effective January 3, 2022. The cruise lin
Celebrity Apex Sets Sail on Inaugural Cruise
Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale played host to a special event today as Celebrity Cruises’ new ship Celebrity Apex kicked off its inaugural Caribbean season. After the official naming ceremony, the ship will begin sailing rotating Eastern and Western Caribbean itinerarie
Thailand Ends Travel Restrictions for Dozens of Countries
One of the world’s most popular travel destinations in Southeast Asia is reopening for international tourism! Thailand has ended the mandatory quarantine requirements for vaccinated travelers from an approved list of more than 60 countries. The country is also opening up to locals as Thailand
MSC Cruises CEO ‘Confident’ Full Fleet Will Be Back by Winter 2022
While most cruise lines have been sitting idle for the past 13 months, MSC Cruises has proven time and again that cruising can be safe during a pandemic. The cruise line restarted ships in the Mediterranean on board MSC Grandiosa and Magnifica last August and since then, tho
Cruise Saudi Is Now a Member of the World Travel & Tourism Council
The world’s newest cruise destination took another step towards their goal of becoming a top-tier cruise and travel destination. Cruise Saudi announced today that they’ve become a member of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), a community of travel and tourism professional
Polar Prep: How to Get Ready for the Adventure of a Lifetime
Is the untouched nature of the polar regions calling you? If a polar expedition piques your interest, packing the right gear is the easy part — it’s the not-so-tangible tasks that prove most challenging. Don’t let the extreme weather, the distance, or even the threat of a bumpy Drake Passage
This Royal Caribbean World Cruise Sails to All Seven Continents
Here’s something not many people can say: I’ve been to all seven continents. If you book yourself a cabin on board Royal Caribbean International’s Serenade of the Seas leaving from Miami on December 10, 2023, you’ll be able to say just that! The cruise line an
Cruise Deal of the Week – October 15, 2021
Be honest, how many pumpkin spice flavored treats have you had so far this Fall? Enjoy it while it lasts because before you know it, the winds and snow of winter will be swirling and EVERYONE will be booking a cruise vacation somewhere warm and tropical. We’re just a couple weeks from Hallowee
Saudi Arabia Wants 100 Million Visitors by 2030
In January of 2020, the world first learned of Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia’s tourism initiative that hopes to bring in 100 million visitors by the year 2030. What many didn’t realize at the time was that cruising was set to be a large part of that plan. Thanks to the country’s proximity b
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
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
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
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
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 [&
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