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
Lovely Le Lavandou in the French Riviera
Renowned American author Willa Cather was 28 years old in 1902 when she left her Midwest prairie home to travel to England and France. On this trip, she found her favorite place, and it was Le Lavandou. “No books have ever been written about Lavandou, no music or pictures ever came from here, but
CDC: Vaccinated Passengers Don’t Need Disembarkation Testing for Voyages Less than 4 Days
For the past few weeks, we’ve been reading and re-reading a document put forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention called the “COVID-19 Operations Manual for Simulated and Restricted Voyages under the Framework for Conditional Sailing Order”. The document is as long a
Royal Caribbean Cancels Odyssey of the Seas Cruises from Israel
Unrest in Israel has forced Royal Caribbean International to cancel summer cruises in the region on board their ship Odyssey of the Seas. The brand new cruise ship was scheduled to begin sailing on June 2 from Haifa, Israel with plans to sail until October. It would have been the first time a c
Carnival Names Miss Dominican Republic Kimberly Jiménez Mardi Gras Godmother
Those who tuned into last night’s MISS UNIVERSE contest got to see a very special moment as Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy presented Miss Dominican Republic Kimberly Jiménez with the “Spirit of Carnival” award for embodying the company’s values
Choose Your Cruise – May 14, 2021
What a week for cruising! The big news of the week was the reveal of Norwegian Cruise Line’s new Prima class ships starting with the upcoming Norwegian Prima next summer. The cruise line showed off new features like infinity pools, a food hall-style eatery and even a redesigned Haven which off
CDC Relaxes Some Rules for Vaccinated Cruise Passengers
There’s great news this morning for cruisers who are fully vaccinated! In last weeks Technical Instructions for Simulated Voyages by Cruise Ship Operators under CDC’s Framework for Conditional Sailing Order, the CDC outlined exactly what needs to happen for cruise lines to begin operati
First Look at Norwegian Prima Cruise Ship Bound for Port Canaveral
Norwegian Cruise Line has a big announcement this morning! The cruise line is introducing a brand new class of cruise ships for the first time in a decade and the details sound incredible! Prima Class will feature six brand new ships, with the first, Norwegian Prima, coming in the summer of 2022.&nb
US State Department Relaxes Travel Advisory for Israel and the UK
Those looking to enjoy a vacation overseas this summer are waking up to some good news this morning. The US State Department has lowered their travel advisory for both Israel and the United Kingdom thanks to robust vaccine rollouts in both countries. The travel advisory for the United Kingdom is now
Test Your Cruise Trivia with Gary Bembridge
Over the past 25 years, Gary Bembridge has helped countless cruisers and travelers get the most out of their vacations through his website and YouTube Channel “Tips for Travellers”. A veteran cruiser with nearly 80 sailings under his belt, we decided to invite Gary to join Porthole Cruis
Choose Your Cruise – May 7, 2021
Another week, another CDC update that doesn’t really help us at all. Sure, they outlined exactly what needs to happen during a simulated cruise, but the list of demands clearly pushes cruise lines toward the option to skip them altogether so long as their passengers are all vaccinated against
Seabourn to Set Sail in July
They say that good things come to those who wait and after a year of pandemic patience GREAT things are happening for lovers of ultra-luxury cruising. Starting in July, Seabourn Cruise Line is resuming cruises with the Seabourn Ovation sailing in Greece and the Sea
CDC Releases Technical Instructions for Simulated Voyages
Welcome to Phase 2B of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Conditional Sail Order! What is Phase 2B, you ask? It’s a set of technical instructions for what cruise lines need to do when conducting simulated voyages in order to test the efficacy of the cruise ship operato
Holland America to Resume Cruising in August
In a press conference yesterday attended by the biggest names in cruise news, Holland America Line announced they finally have a date for their restart of operations! The cruise line received approval from the government of Greece to begin sailing from Piraeus on August 15, 2021 on board their ship
Norwegian Cruise Line Celebrates Teacher Appreciation Week
It’s been a challenging year for everyone, but for teachers, the shift from in-person learning to virtual class had to have been one of the most difficult transitions for anyone. In recognition and celebration of the countless teachers who had to make the transition, Norwegian Cruise
Choose Your Cruise – April 30, 2021
Wow what a week for cruising! We got the opportunity to check out not one, but TWO brand new ships coming in the near future and the CDC even gave cruise lines some wiggle room when it comes to getting started again. It’s really starting to look like July is the target month for cruises [&hell
Did the CDC Just Kick Kids Off Cruise Lines?
The cruise industry was buzzing last night and this morning with the news that the CDC sent a letter to cruise lines updating and clarifying some of the rules set forth in their Conditional Sail Order. While many are rejoicing the news as a big step forward, there are some unsavory side effects that
St. Kitts Is the Island of Limitless Possibilities
Attitude is everything, just ask the people of St. Kitts. In many respects this laid-back island paradise is your quintessential Caribbean island. It’s a place where beach shack bars grill up fresh caught fish and lobster, where you can see the colorful fisherman boats dotting the horizon in the m
Celebrity Cruises Introduces Celebrity Beyond
In a virtual event today featuring CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo and hosted by TV host and lifestyle contributor Tommy DiDario, Celebrity Cruises introduced the next ship in their Edge-class series – Celebrity Beyond. Coming in 2022, Celebrity Beyond is the sister ship of Celebrity Edge
Don’t Miss This Taco Food Tour in Cabo San Lucas
The question of the day; You’re in Mexico and hungry. What’s the one quick bite you think of? It’s a taco of course! As a vicarious foodie follower, you know that my go to solution for hunger pangs is a food tour and with a visit to Cabo San Lucas it’s no different. After savoring […]