Carnival Cruise Line Extends Pause Until April
UPDATE 1:51pm: Carnival Corporation sub-brands Holland America Line and Princess Cruises have also pushed back their restart date. HAL will now resume operation in April of 2021 and Princess Cruises will resume operation in May 2021. Carnival Cruise Line issued a press release this morning ann
Bankrupt Jalesh Cruises Leaves Employees High and Dry
April 17, 2019 was an important date for India’s Jalesh Cruises. It was the first time passengers set foot onboard the recently purchased Karnika for a cruise from Mumbai. Less than a year later, the cruise line is out of business and the ship sold for scrap. COVID-19 is to blame, but sources tell
The Myth of the Storm Petrel
Poets have called them “gypsies of the sea” and “black lightning.” Some sailors see them as omens of bad luck, while ancient sailors are said to have named them for the walking-on-water apostle Peter. Other seamen know them as Mother Carey’s Chickens, probably a corruption of Mater Cara, o
Choose Your Cruise – December 23, 2020
For those of you counting down the days, we’re just a week away from 2021! From all of us here at the Porthole Cruise network, we hope you spend the next couple of days having a safe and wonderful holiday with the people who matter the most. It’s been a trying year for just about [&helli
New Costa Firenze Delivered By Fincantieri
When cruise does come back, at least we’ll have some brand new ships to enjoy! Costa Cruises officially took delivery of their newest ship Costa Firenze from Fincantieri’s Marghera shipyard in Italy. The 135,500 ton ship was inspired by the Florentine Renaissance and
Steve Leland’s 2020 Travel Recap
After nine months of travel lockdown, 2020 hindsight takes on new relevance as we grapple with how things could have been done differently, but then again who could have imagined the havoc that a renegade virus would wreak on the travel industry. Finishing out 2019 with a Transatlantic cruise from L
Attend Your Favorite Cruise Ship Art Auction From Home
There’s a lot people miss about cruising. From exploring new ports of call to the impeccable service that makes you feel like royalty, cruising is an experience you can’t recreate anywhere else. Since the industry went on pause, cruisers all over the world have been waiting patiently for their c
Rich and Famous Eye Barbuda for Development
Barbuda may very well be the most untouched island in the whole Caribbean, but if Robert De Niro and other wealthy investors have their way, the island will see some major developments in the future. Plans to build multiple luxury resorts on the island are currently in the works, along with bu
Choose Your Cruise – December 11, 2020
The cruise industry took a step back this week with the news that more cruise lines are pushing back their start date well into the spring. But there was also some AMAZING news this week about the development of a COVID-19 vaccine which seems like it will be here sooner rather than later. The vaccin
VIDEO:Emerald Azzurra Float Out Ceremony
Is it January 2022 yet? That’s how long cruisers will have to wait before they can sail on board the newest yacht from Emerald Cruises. We did get a sneak peek of the new ship over the weekend when it was floated out for the first time at Halong Shipbuilding Company in Vietnam. The [&he
Choose Your Cruise – December 4, 2020
Did you miss out on the awesome Black Friday cruise deals last week? Never fear! We’re back with a new edition of Choose Your Cruise and there are plenty of deals left to be had. As we inch closer to cruising, the deals cruise lines are offering like free perks, upgraded staterooms, kids sail
OceanMedallion to be Used on All Princess Cruises Ships
As cruise lines prep for a return to service, new details continue to emerge about what life on board will be like for cruisers. Princess Cruises, who’s return is scheduled for April, announced today that their MedallionClass Experience will be available across the global fleet in 2021. T
PONANT Announces Solar Eclipse Cruise
Need something to look forward to? 2021 is almost here and it’s bringing with it a total solar eclipse! On December 4, 2021, the moon will fully pass between the Sun and the Earth, obscuring the sun for a period of a few minutes. The catch? The only area in the world where the solar […]
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
