Cruising Returns to New Orleans
When Carnival Glory sets sail on a seven-day cruise from the Port of New Orleans this afternoon, it will mark the very first ship to sail from the port since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic well over a year ago. In honor of the occasion, Carnival held a “Back to Fun” ev
12 Hours in Mykonos
When you’re named after the heir of a god, you better meet expectations. Mykonos, one of Greece’s most famous islands, is named for a descendant of the god Apollo (allegedly) and the first ruler of the island. And yes, it certainly does meet expectations. It exceeds them, in fact.&nb
Cruise Vaccination Exemptions – Will You Get Denied?
Your bags are packed, your flights are booked and you’re already dreaming about the all-you-can-eat crab leg buffet. Just one problem… you still haven’t heard back from the cruise line about whether or not you received one of the coveted COVID-19 vaccine exemption spots reserved fo
Cruise Deal of the Week – July 16, 2021
Grab your finest flannel and make a quick stop at Tim Horton’s….cruising to Canada is back! Well, almost. The Canadian Government announced yesterday that they would lift the ban on cruise ships on November 1, 2021, a few months earlier than expected. You can read more about that decisio
Cruise Deal of the Week – July 9, 2021
It was a big week in the cruise industry as major cruise lines like Carnival and Royal Caribbean embarked ships from U.S. ports for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Things are also heating up elsewhere across the industry as MSC Cruises announced plans for a new terminal at PortMiam
Royal Caribbean Changes Plans for Bermuda Cruises
Porthole Cruise and Travel readers are no strangers to cruise cancellations these days. For the past year, you’ve read countless articles about cancelled, delayed and rescheduled cruises due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Well, for the first time, we have news of a major cruise cancellation that
Hiking Mexico’s Sierra de la Laguna
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. The stories of generously flowing champagne, chic hotels and hedonistic nightlife dominate travel headlines about this jetsetting playground in the sun. Perhaps it’s the lure of sunset cruises around the iconic Los Arcos, seasonal whale watching, blue marlin fishing and wor
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 […]
Choose Your Cruise – March 5, 2021
With the announcement earlier this week that America would have enough COVID-19 vaccines for the entire country by May, cruisers flocked online to check out the cruise deals still going strong across the internet. It will just be a few more months until the CDC gives the green light to cruise lines
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
Orlando Ashford Named Executive Chairman of Azamara
It wasn’t a long hiatus from the cruise industry for Orlando Ashford. The former President of Holland America Line stepped down from the company in May of 2020 after six years at the helm, but the news today is he’s back operating a cruise line! Sycamore Partners, the private equit
Exploring Windstar Cruises’ New Voyage Planner
Raise your hand if you’ve had a cruise cancelled in the past 10 months. Since March 2020, excited cruises have been booking months in advance only to have their sailing cancelled or postponed because cruise lines aren’t able to resume service. Of all the comments we’ve been getting
Choose Your Cruise – January 8, 2021
Welcome to 2021! We are going to be able to cruise this year, but the vaccine rollout is going to be a major part of when that happens. Some major cruise lines pushed back their restart date into the Spring, but there’s plenty of optimism that our favorite vacation will be back sooner rather t
Cruise Home to America
There’s something beautifully consistent about a river. A living embodiment of water’s never ending journey through our ecosystems, rivers provide life in ways no other body of water can. Each stripe carving its way through the landscape has a story to tell about discovery and adventure. Hearing
Windstar Wants to Take You to Tahiti
Windstar Cruises is making the most exclusive cruise destination in the entire world more available than ever before! When the cruise line resumes operation in March 2021, one of the first places they’re sailing to is French Polynesia and their storied Islands of Tahiti itinerary. For those wh
Here’s How to Sign Up for a Test Cruise
When the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lifted the no-sail order last month, you could probably hear the collective cheer from the cruise industry from outer space. However, the CDC didn’t open up cruising for a free-for-all. Instead, they’ve instituted a tiered approach to a return
Top 5 Best Cruise Lines for Families
The best family vacations are the ones that bring everyone together to share new experiences and of course, have a ton of fun! Cruise lines may have been geared towards adults in the past, but modern ships are floating amusement parks with special areas catering to young children, pre-teens and teen
Costa Toscana to Spend Inaugural Season in South America
Italian cruise line Costa Cruises has announced they will deploy Costa Favolosa and their new flagship Costa Toscana in South America for the 2021-2022 cruise season. Embarkation ports will be Santos, Rio de Janeiro, and Itajaí in Brazil. Costa Favolosa’s season will also extend an
No Cruises Until December, Says Norwegian Cruise Line
In a statement on their website this morning, Norwegian Cruise Line has cancelled all cruises embarking in November as well as all sailings on Norwegian Star, Norwegian Spirit, and Norwegian Dawn through March 2021. The cruise line cited passenger health and safety as their number one priority
New Details About About Mardi Gras‘ Grand Central Atrium
Cruise ship atriums have long been used as a way to make a first impression on passengers. From the Swarovski crystal staircases found on MSC Cruises ships to the regal elegance and ambiance found on board Cunard ships, each cruise line likes to find their own way to stand out. Today, Carnival
