All Cruises Will Have a Contingency Plan, Says Carnival’s Arnold Donald
Throughout the entire pandemic, Carnival Corporation CEO Arnold Donald has remained stout in his belief that cruising will be back and better than ever before. Their have been plenty of developments since the last time he joined Porthole Cruise Founder and Editor-in-Chief Bill Panoff for an int
Disney Cruise Line Will Now Return in February
Cruise lines continue pushing back their restart date as they work their way through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s new framework for conditional sailing. The latest brand to push their start date back a month is Disney Cruise Line. In a posting on the Disney Cruise Lin
CDC Upgrades Cruising Risk to Level 4, the Highest Possible
On Saturday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated their travel advisory for cruise ships to level 4, meaning that there was a “very high” risk for COVID-19 infection on board. The CDC now recommends that all people avoid travel on cruise ships worldwide. “At this time, C
Cruise Deal of the Week – November 20, 2020
It’s almost Thanksgiving! While some people look forward to a heaping pile of mashed potatoes and gravy, those of us savvy shoppers are looking ahead to the day after America’s most caloric holiday, Black Friday! Just like those insta-pots and high definition televisions, cruise vacation
Princess Cruises Cancels All Cruises Until April
On the heels of Carnival Cruise Line cancelling all cruises until February 2021, their sister line Princess Cruises has decided to push back their restart as well. In a press release this morning, the cruise line announced they won’t be returning to service until April 2021. They’ve also
Windstar Hosts Virtual Sail Away for Star Breeze
When the first few notes of “Conquest of Paradise” from Greek composer Vangelis began playing, it was almost (almost!) like being on board the newly renovated Star Breeze from Windstar Cruises. The cruise line hosted a virtual sail away for the first of their Star Plus Class ships yesterday
Carnival Cruise Line Targets February for Restart
It’s been an up and down week for the cruise industry. News of effective vaccines had people excited, but cruise lines aren’t even close to taking on passengers again. Carnival Cruise Line affirmed as much this morning with the announcement that they have once again pushed back their tim
First Look at Silversea’s Silver Moon Interiors
Silversea Cruises took delivery of their brand new ship Silver Moon just a few weeks ago and to celebrate, Silversea’s Chief Marketing Officer Barbara Muckermann hosted a series of five virtual ship tours to preview the new S.A.L.T. venues, public spaces, restaurants, and suites. The ship is
Choose Your Cruise – November 13, 2020
Here’s a fun fact: Friday the 13th will happen in any month that starts on a Sunday. Whether you’re superstitious or not, watch out for black cats, mirrors and ladders today so you’ll be ready to go on your next cruise vacation! Yesterday we got word that Royal Caribbean Inter
NCL Announces EMBARK – The Series
In preparation for a return to cruising, Norwegian Cruise Line announced a docu-series which offers a closer look at the brand and it’s long-awaited cruise comeback. The first two episodes kick off with a look at the Broadway-caliber entertainment on board. EMBARK NCL Spotlight Series wil
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
3 Reasons Why You Need to Start Caring About Face Masks in Your Wardrobe
Face masks are going to be a part of our lives for the foreseeable future, but that doesn’t mean you have to hide your personality along with your face! There are obvious health and safety benefits which come with wearing a mask, but there are a few other good reasons why you should start caring [
A Taste Of San Miguel: Tacos and Tequila
I’m always hungry. Hungry for travel, knowledge, friendship and it goes without saying, food! If presented with an à la carte menu of excursions or adventures, a food tour is always my first choice. Hey, a guy has to eat! These ever growing foodie tours are popping up all over the glo
Key West Votes to Limit Cruise Passengers, Large Ships
This election was important for any number of reasons, but for Key West, cruise ships were at the forefront of the voting. Residents of the popular vacation destination were faced with approving three amendments to the city charter, all revolving around cruise ships and passengers disembarking at Ma
Norwegian Cruise Brands Cancel Sailings Through December
Cruisers were thrilled last Friday when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention chose not to renew their no-sail order that had been in effect since March. However, in it’s place the CDC placed what they’re calling a conditional sail order with a laundry list of things cruise line
CDC Lifts No-Sail Order, Outlines Cruise Return
The CDC announced this afternoon they would let the no-sail order expire, but in it’s place they’ve instituted a conditional sail order with plenty of hoops cruise lines will need to jump through before they set sail once again. While the news is an overwhelming positive for an ind
Choose Your Cruise – October 30, 2020
There’s nothing scary about tomorrow for cruisers! Sure, the streets of America will be filled with ghosts, goblins and probably a ton of people riding skateboards and drinking cranberry juice, but it’s also the last day of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s no-sail o
Tom McAlpin of Virgin Voyages Talks Scarlet Lady, Ship Eats & More
One of the newest cruise lines to join the industry, with a ship design unlike any other, Virgin Voyages was scheduled to sail from Miami for the first time just days before the pandemic took hold. Their first ship, Scarlet Lady, has now been joined by a sister ship, Valiant Lady, and both are geari
CDC Reaffirms Warning Against Nonessential Travel, Including Cruises
The CDC has updated a level 3 warning to avoid nonessential travel, citing cruises in particular as a known spreader of COVID-19. The update on the CDC website doesn’t leave any room for interpretation: Cruise passengers are at increased risk of person-to-person spread of infectiou
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
