Eating It Up In Athens
You all know my MO by now. I’m in a foreign city, hungry and have a hankering for some local food. This time it’s in Athens, Greece. Of course it’s easy to just hit the road well traveled in the Plaka district and some sidewalk cafe might jump out and tempt the tastebuds. In my […
Med in the U.S.A.
Western civilization found its footing in Athens, Greece, and it is in that trailblazing spirit that Philadelphia was originally nicknamed the Athens of America as it set the standard for art, culture, architecture, and politics following America’s birth. (Though Philly’s City of Brotherly Love
AmaWaterways Partners with Ancestry on Family History Cruises
One of the most popular river cruise lines has a new partnership which could help guests learn more about Europe, but also their family history as well! AmaWaterways has announced a collaboration with Ancestry, one of the most popular family history and genomics providers, on a special cruise packag
MSC Cruises Introduces New Luxury Brand Explora Journeys
One of the fastest growing cruise lines is expanding their reaching into the luxury cruise sector and we couldn’t be more excited. Explora Journeys is billed by MSC as the next generation of luxury cruising with the first of four new ships, Explora I, sailing in 2023. Small ship luxury an
AIDA Cruises To Restart AIDAstella in July
AIDA Cruises has taken another step in their gradual restart of cruise operations with the announcement that their ship AIDAstella will resume sailing on July 29, 2021 from Palma de Mallorca with calls in Spain, Italy, Portugal and Malta. The cruises
European Waterways Set to Resume Operation
Luxury hotel barge cruising operator European Waterways is ready to resume operation on Europe’s most famous rivers thanks to the region beginning to reopen to tourists. The cruise line’s summer itineraries are packed with options for cruisers looking for that quintessential European riv
European Union Begins Issuing Digital COVID Certificates
Back in April, the European Union announced plans to issue Digital COVID Certificates for vaccinated travelers. The certificates, which seven EU nations began issuing today, allow for unrestricted travel within the European Union for those who hold one. The seven nations now issuing the certifi
Riviera River Cruises Will Sail Douro River Cruises in July
A popular European river cruise line is getting ready to resume operation on Portugal’s Douro River! Riviera River Cruises is planning to restart their ship MS Douro Elegance on July 2, 2021 for eight-day itineraries on the Douro and Salamanca Rivers. All guests boarding Riviera
Turkey Will Welcome Back Americans This Summer
The country of Turkey is ready for visitors to return in 2021 and they’ve developed a new system for keeping tourists and citizens safe. The Safe Tourism Certificate was created last year as a way for tourism-related businesses in Turkey to ensure they’re following the most up to date gl
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
Norwegian Cruise Line Introduces Norwegian Prima
The new Prima Class ships from Norwegian Cruise Line are on the way! In an announcement this morning, the cruise line released some new details about the very first ship. In an interesting change from the usual, Norwegian Prima will be slightly smaller than the previous Breakaway and Break
Amsterdam: Connoisseurs of Cozy
I’m sitting in Café Papeneiland in Amsterdam, when the feeling of gezelligheid hits me. It’s what this city’s bruin cafés — the Dutch answer to the pub — are most famous for inducing: a lovely, warm feeling of contentment. To be gezellig is to be cozy, to feel togetherness, to enjoy comp
Would You Take a Mystery Cruise With Uniworld Boutique River Cruises?
Would you take a vacation if you didn’t know where you were going beforehand? That’s exactly what Uniworld Boutique River Cruises is offering with their very first Mystery Cruise! The only thing cruisers know is they need to bring their passport, the rest is a mystery. Cruisers who book
AmaWaterways Announces Record Bookings in March
The demand for river cruising has never been higher according to AmaWaterways. The river cruise line announced they’ve opened up bookings for 2023 Europe river cruise itineraries thanks to a record-setting number of bookings in March. The cruise line has new itineraries ranging from
CLIA Tells CDC It’s Time to Cruise
When it comes to cruising, nobody knows more than CLIA. The Cruise Lines International Association is the world’s largest cruise industry trade association which represents 95% of global ocean-going cruise capacity. Today, the organization called on the Centers for Disease
WATCH:MSC Lirica Damaged by Fire
Anyone in and around the port of Corfu, Greece today saw something very unsettling, a cruise ship on fire. Black smoke and flames could be seen billowing from the starboard side of MSC Lirica as it sat in port early in the afternoon. It took local fire fighters around an hour to put out th
This is the World’s Longest River Cruise
It’s never too early to start planning for the future so if you’re looking for the ultimate return to cruising, do we have a European river cruise for you! AmaWaterways announced they’ve put together the longest-ever river cruise which takes guests on a tour of 14 unique countries
AmaWaterways Announces New Wine Hosts for 2021
It won’t be long now until we’re sipping wine on board a luxurious river cruise and to help with the anticipation, AmaWaterways has released a new list of wine hosts for their 2021 cruise season. The list includes notable wine experts, certified sommeliers, and vineyard owners who h
Europe’s Best Christmas Markets
Is there anything better than wandering through the warm glow of a European Christmas market while the smell of candied nuts and chimney cakes waft under your nose? From late November through the New Year, European cities transform into festive examples of Yuletide cheer and one of the best ways to
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
