Europa 2: Generation LuXe
Generation LuXe Europa 2 caters to upscale cruisers seeking international flavor. By Lori Rackl The bad news for Hapag-Lloyd Cruises is that its luxury vessel, Europa, no longer ranks as the Berlitz cruise guide’s top-rated ship. The good news for the German cruise line: The coveted title was stol
Five Faves: Lands of the Free
Porthole’s Five Faves Lands of the Free 5 Independence-Seeking Cruise Destinations For as worldly as we like to consider ourselves, Porthole is unabashedly American, loving our independence from sea to every-cruisable-shining sea! With our Independence Day a little more than a week away, we wante
Hot Rocks, Cool Vacation
Monday Mantra I want gloves…I want gloves…I want gloves… Hot Rocks, Cool Vacation Alaska is still Alaska, even on a luxury cruise. If I ever say I plan to leave for a cruise directly from the office, just slap me. A full work day, a rush hour commute to JFK, and a 6-hour flight to […]
Cruise News – June 20, 2014
Cruise News – June 20, 2014 Seabourn Signs UNESCO Pact Luxury line Seabourn signed an agreement with UNESCO that includes raising $1 million to protect the world’s cultural and natural attractions – with the additional benefit to cruise passengers of onboard speakers with knowle
In the Bag
Monday Mantra In the Bag A luxury cruise to Alaska stretches packing strategies to the limit. I will begin packing…I will begin packing…I will begin packing… In just two days, I’ll be off to Vancouver to board Silver Shadow for an 11-day Alaska cruise. I’ll be combining two of the
Cruise News – June 13, 2014
Cruise News – June 13, 2014 Royal Caribbean’s Quantum Entertainment Royal Caribbean International is going for the gold in terms of Quantum of the Seas‘ entertainment – if, that is, the gold involves robots and high-tech wizardry. Prepare to be wowed when the new class of ship de
Cruise News – June 6, 2014
Cruise News – June 6, 2014 Avalon Waterways Launches New River Ship If can imagine waking up and opening your wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling glass doors for an open-air view of a Viennese village straight out of a fairy tale, then you get why Avalon Waterways’ “Suite Ships&#
Cruise News – May 30, 2014
Weekly Cruise News – May 30, 2014 The Debut of Regal Princess Princess Cruises’ new Regal Princess quietly debuted in Europe this month. The fanfare will come later when the 3,560-passenger ship arrives in its new homeport of Fort Lauderdale in November, but she’s no less a knockout than h
Cruise News – May 16, 2014
Cruise News – May 16, 2014 New Viking Ocean Ships Viking Ocean Cruises hasn’t even launched its first ship yet, but is already tripling its fleet. The ocean-going arm of Viking River Cruises has ordered two sister ships to Viking Star, which is set to debut in May 2015. Viking Sea and Vi
Weekly Cruise News – May 9, 2014
Weekly Cruise News – May 9, 2014 A Regal Birthday in Southampton Cunard Line’s Queen Mary 2 was welcomed by her sisters to a 10th-birthday celebration in Southampton. Festivities kicked off at sunrise today with the song “Happy Birthday” played on the whistles of Queen Victoria and Queen Eli
Culinary Adventures aboard Oceania Cruises
For cruisers who want to bring more back from their vacation than just great memories, Oceania Cruises has Bon Appétit Culinary Centers aboard the 1,250-passenger Marina and Riviera where you can actually learn some cooking skills. Bon Appétit Culinary Centers You slice and dice along with pr
Crystal gets creative with Game of Thrones excursion, new bike tours
We love when the creative minds at cruise lines get going. The latest example: Crystal Cruises’ new shore excursions. Passengers can find adventure on Europe cruises on a tour based on the hit HBO show Game of Thrones and on a bunch of new, get-active bike excursions. First to the Seven Kin
Oceania launches top-notch entertainment
Oceania is launching a series of top-notch concerts and lectures, beginning with a shipboard program featuring Andrea McArdle, the original Annie on Broadway, that passengers can attend for a fee. I smell trend: You’ll remember Carnival recently announced its’ Carnival Live Concert
Silversea Cruises Launches New Expedition Ship to Sail Exotic Itineraries
Cruise passengers looking to explore the remote corners of the world have a new expedition option. Silversea’s latest expedition ship, Silver Discoverer, set sail this week on a cruise to the jaw-dropping Kimberly coast of Western Australia. The 120-passenger ship is the 20-year-old, ultra-l
Uniworld Launches S.S. Catherine in Lyon
Another day, another river ship christening. Seriously, it’s beginning to feel like that as the market, especially in Europe, keeps booming with no signs of slowing down any time soon. Oo la la Last week, on what was a beautiful sunny day in Lyon, France, Uniworld launched its new 159-passenge
Dance the Night Away on Crystal Cruises
Men who want to hit the dance floor will have no problem finding a partner on select Crystal Cruises ships. The luxury line, which happens to now be run by a woman, is adding female dance hosts – an industry first, the line says. The Ambassador Hostesses will focus on ballroom steps – we’r
Cruise Ship News of the Week
The 30th Cruise Shipping Miami conference, the premier event for the global cruise industry and its largest annual gathering, produced a lot of news this week, with several lines reserving big announcements for the event. Here are the week’s top highlights. Homeport News Some of the bigger announ
Excursions Aplenty on Crystal World Cruise
Passengers on Crystal Cruises’ 2015 World Cruise, the luxury line’s 20th annual world sailing, shouldn’t have any difficulty finding a shore excursion to their liking. Some 350 Crystal Adventures are in the offing for those on the 108-day “Silver Celebration” cruise, which em
Put a Banana on Your Cruise Map
The cruise industry is going bananas. The new Banana Coast cruise port in Honduras is now officially on the cruise ship map. The 130-passenger ship Yorktown, operated by Travel Dynamics International, can claim status as inaugurating the place. Passengers on the ship were tendered to the brand-
Celebrity Making Cruising More Private for Suite Guests
Celebrity Cruises announced plans for a luxury, ship-within-a-ship concept – meaning suite guests won’t have to mingle with other guests – if they don’t want to. This notion was first introduced by Norwegian Cruise Line with its The Haven and then MSC Cruises’ The Yacht Club on
