Saint Lucia Prepares for Summer Cruise Tourism
For the first time in a year, the island of St. Lucia is preparing to welcome back international cruise tourism. Royal Caribbean Cruise Line has jumpstarted the return of the cruise industry to Saint Lucia after more than a year of inactivity, naming the island as a port-of-call on a mid-July i
U.S. Virgin Islands Tourism Performs Well Despite Pandemic
U.S. Virgin Islands Commissioner of Tourism Joseph Boschulte shared some encouraging tourism numbers about the islands compared to the rest of the Caribbean. While the region as a whole saw a steep decline in visitors since March 2020, the U.S. Virgin Islands credit a smart, sensible publi
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 […]
Cruising Returned to America This Weekend
For the first time in over a year, a cruise ship departed from an American port with passengers onboard. American Cruise Lines resumed service over the weekend and American Queen Steamboat Company is setting sail today and that is great news for cruisers! American Cruise Line set sail from Amelia Is
Choose Your Cruise – March 12, 2021
It was exactly one year ago today that Princess Cruises and Viking Cruises announced they’d be pausing operation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s truly unbelievable but here we are a year later on the cusp of a vaccine that will jumpstart the cruise industry and get everyone back to no
Alcatraz Cruises to Resume Prison Tour Operations
For the first time in over a year, Alcatraz Cruises will resume ferry service operations to Alcatraz Island beginning March 15, 2021. Alcatraz, an island in San Francisco Bay, grew to infamy as a federal prison home to a whole host of unsavory characters like notorious mobster Al Capone. The is
Virgin Voyages Names 3rd Ship Resilient Lady
Resilient is certainly a great way to describe the cruise industry and according to Virgin Voyages, it’s also a great name for a ship! The new cruise line and lifestyle travel brand announced today that they’re naming the third ship in their fleet Resilient Lady. The announcement coincid
25 Years of Cruising with Porthole Cruise Magazine
Time flies when you’re having fun! And trust us, there’s nowhere better to have fun than onboard a cruise ship. Porthole Cruise Magazine is proud to celebrate 25 years of publishing the world’s best consumer cruise and travel magazine and looking back, it’s been a long journe
Choose Your Cruise – February 26, 2021
It’s Friday! And it’s also the last weekend in February. That’s a big deal because it means the 1 year anniversary of the cruise stoppage is only weeks away. It seemed unfathomable at the time we’d have to wait a whole year to cruise again, but here we are, a year old and a y
American Queen Steamboat Company CEO Explains Mandatory Vaccine Decision
As talk in America turns from preventing COVID-19 infection to administering the COVID-19 vaccine, all eyes are on cruise lines to see what their policy will be on a return to cruising. Will cruise lines require a vaccine for passengers? We got some clarity on that issue recently from American Queen
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
Antigua Completes Construction on Fifth Cruise Pier
Just because it’s been nearly a full year since cruise ships last called on the island of Antigua doesn’t mean the people there haven’t been preparing for their return. The island recently completed construction on the fifth cruise ship berth at St. John’s Port at a cost of $
Crystal Cruises to Require COVID-19 Vaccination for Guests
One of the most common questions we get asked these days is will passengers need a COVID-19 vaccination to sail when cruise lines resume operation. There wasn’t a concrete answer previously, but one major cruise line has come out and made the issue black and white. Crystal Cruises will require
Choose Your Cruise – February 19, 2021
Another week, another slew of cruise line’s pushing back their start date. Most are numb to the thought now when just a year ago cancelled cruises sent us all into panic mode. As cruise lines tread water just to stay afloat, the good news is a mega-push to get vaccines into the hands of as [&h
Norwegian Cruise Line Cancels Cruises Until June
Norwegian Cruise Line announced today that they’ve suspended all cruises until June 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent global travel climate. The news also applies to NCL’s sister brands Oceania Cruise and Regent Seven Seas. According to the NCL website:
AIDA Cruises To Resume Operation March 20th
German cruise line AIDA announced today that they plan to resume cruise operations beginning March 20, 2021 on board their ship AIDAperla. The first sailing will visit Spain’s Canary Islands off the coast of Northern Africa. The decision comes in part because of the German federal go
Choose Your Cruise – February 12, 2021
Due to restrictions on cruise ships by size that are popping up around the world, this edition of choose your cruise is going to focus on small ships and the exotic places they travel. If you’re a cruiser, but you spend all your vacations on large ships, you’re missing out on a very uniq
Meet Rob, MSC Cruises’ New Robot Bartender
When MSC Virtuosa was delivered to MSC Cruises earlier this month, company chairman Pierfrancesco Vago hailed the ship’s technological advancements, including the world’s first humanoid bartender at sea. Today the cruise line released more details about that robot and we can’t wa
Holland America Names Rotterdam Senior Staff Officers
We’ll have to wait a few more months before Holland America Line’s newest ship is delivered, but the cruise line announced the senior staff officers who will be on board when she does! The officer crew of Rotterdam brings a combined 80 years of experience to their positions, ma
Significant Cruise Operations Doubtful This Year Says Florida Ports Council
As cruisers wait patiently for their chance to sail once again, a spokesperson for the Florida Ports Council has expressed doubts that the industry will see significant operations until 2022. Michael Rubin, VP of Governmental Affairs for the Florida Ports Council, speaking at a meeting of the Florid