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
France, Germany Announce New COVID Lockdowns
Earlier this summer, the cruise industry saw a return to cruising in Europe as an overwhelming positive. Now, four months later, both France and Germany have announced a new round of lockdowns due to rising COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. French President Emmanuel Macron addressed his nati
Florida Governor Wants to See Cruise Ships Sail Again
Another ally has emerged in the fight to get cruise ships sailing again, but how much impact he’ll have is yet to be seen.as we enter the last few days of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s no-sail order. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said Tuesday “we want to see
Six Ways to Spend Two Days in Dubrovnik
When George Bernard Shaw first saw the ancient walled city on the Adriatic, he was smitten. “Those who seek paradise on earth should come to Dubrovnik,” declared the famed Irish playwright. Founded in 7th century B.C. and rivaling Venice for sea power influence since the 13th century, this gor
River Cruise Bookings Are Up, Says AmaWaterways
Yesterday morning, AmaWaterways made the difficult decision to suspend operation until November for all but one ship. The river cruise company pioneered the industry return to cruising with AmaKristina sailing the Rhine River since July 5. Since then, we’ve seen several other lines f
AmaWaterways Pauses Most River Cruises Until November
UPDATE: A representative from AmaWaterways has confirmed that the pause until October does NOT apply to the newly restarted AmaKristina in Europe. It DOES however, apply to the rest of the cruise line’s fleet. There have always been a section of cruisers who eschew the massive cruise shi
Choose Your Cruise – August 28, 2020
Earlier this week, we profiled Holly Johnson, the President of Wings Airways & Taku Lodge in Juneau, Alaska. Holly and her staff are struggling to get by without a single paying client in 2020 thanks to the cruise industry shutdown. You can read the piece here. We were flooded with comments from
MSC Cruises Sets Mediterranean Start Dates
Just a week after announcing protocols for health and safety on board their cruise ships, MSC Cruises has a concrete start date for sailings in the Mediterranean. MSC Grandiosa and MSC Magnifica will begin sailing on August 16 and 29, 2020 respectively. The ships will sail t
Royal, Carnival Cancel Cruises Through October
In a move that was not unexpected, but certainly disappointing, Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean International joined Norwegian Cruise Line in cancelling all cruises through the month of October. Royal Caribbean updated their website to reflect the change while Carnival sent a press release
Fear of Flying Hurting Cruising, Says Mystic Cruises President
What started as a single cruise ship on the Douro Rivers has evolved into Mystic Invest, one of Portugal’s premier tourism brands thanks to company founder and president Mário Ferreira. Along with its many travel services, Mystic Invest owns and operates 40+ ships around the world with a focus on
Royal Caribbean Extends Pause Until Oct 1
Cruisers woke up to some not-so-great news this morning. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated their no-sail order, pushing the date back to October 2020. As a result, one of the biggest names in cruising is pushing back their sail date as well. Royal Caribbean International h
CDC to Cruise Lines: No Cruising Until October
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention struck another blow to anxious cruisers who were hoping to be on board a ship for the end of summer. The no-sail order has been extended through October 2020 according to a press release late yesterday due to increased COVID-19 cases across America.&nbs
This European River Cruise Sails June 17th
River cruise lovers are in luck, they could be on a ship in a matter of weeks. A-ROSA River Cruises announced today that their river cruise ship ALVA will recommence operation on June 17th for all sailings along Portugal’s Douro River. Itineraries on the Rhine and Danube restart on the 19th and 20
The Mysterious Magic of the Venice Art Biennale
The Venice Art Biennale is the most important contemporary art show in the world. For six months every other year, it takes over the entire city of Venice. But it’s much more than an art show. If you are at all interested in art, architecture or just a lover of Venice, you should consider extendin
Happy Anniversary, HAL!
Social distancing is making celebrating a little different these days, but we wanted to give a big Happy Birthday shout out to Holland America Line, who turned 147 years old over the weekend! Way back in 1873, the Netherlands-American Steamship Company started sailing goods and people from the Nethe
CRUISE RECIPE: Viking’s Pastel de Nata
Hungry to Sail Again Today, I’m whipping up a sweet reminder of my glorious Viking Helgrim cruise down Portugal’s Douro River last summer. And I have all the ingredients on hand! The 262-foot, 106-passenger Viking Helgrim, is a baby longship, custom-built to navigate the short and narrow l
