From the Readers: The People are the Real Gem
One of the best parts about a cruise vacation is sharing the memories with all your friends and family when you get back! Avid cruiser Dr. and Captain Brett Ribotsky recently went on his first cruise post-COVID and wrote in to Porthole Cruise and Travel to share his experience with the rest of you.
Cruise Deal of the Week – September 3, 2021
The first day of Fall isn’t officially for another few weeks, but once September rolls around, it definitely starts to feel like Autumn is here! Labor Day Weekend may be a little different this year with COVID-19 cases on the rise across the country, but that doesn’t mean you can’t
South Florida Brightline Train Scheduled to Return in November
South Florida’s high-speed rail system has a date for their return to operation! Brightline and President Patrick Goddard announced its plans to resume service in South Florida starting in November of this year. The train service hasn’t operated since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Th
Florida Judge Sides with Norwegian Cruise Line in Vaccine Fight
In a big win for not just Norwegian Cruise Line, but the industry in general, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams ruled that the state of Florida “fails to provide a valid evidentiary, factual, or legal predicate” for banning vaccine passports. This means that Norwegian can require all pa
CDC Gives Royal Caribbean the Okay For Test Cruises in June
After more than a year of waiting, it finally looks like the cruise industry is about to be back to normal. Royal Caribbean International became the first cruise operator to receive approval from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to start sailing test cruises from U.S. ports. In a
Virgin Voyages Cancels All Summer Sailings
Eventually we’ll write a story about Virgin Voyages that includes details about our time on board the ship, but unfortunately we’re going to have to wait a little longer. The world’s most anticipated cruise line has unfortunately made the decision to cancel all sailings between Jul
Carnival Cruise Line Breaks Ground on New Terminal F
On a sunny, cool morning in Miami, cruise industry leaders, port officials and a host of local and national media joined Carnival Cruise Line for a groundbreaking ceremony for the 471,500 square foot Terminal F. Once completed the new terminal will be home to the upcoming Carnival Celebration, the f
Orlando Ashford Named Executive Chairman of Azamara
It wasn’t a long hiatus from the cruise industry for Orlando Ashford. The former President of Holland America Line stepped down from the company in May of 2020 after six years at the helm, but the news today is he’s back operating a cruise line! Sycamore Partners, the private equit
Choose Your Cruise – January 15, 2021
It was a tough week for cruisers as more cruise lines pushed their start dates back until the Spring, but there’s plenty of positivity surrounding the industry as more and more people receive the COVID-19 vaccine. There’s hope that once the summer rolls around, those who have been vaccin
Terminal V by Virgin Voyages Coming to PortMiami
On a cool, overcast day at PortMiami, a row of bright red shovels waited diligently, their blades stuck in white limestone gravel, for the ceremony to start. Virgin Voyages was hosting a groundbreaking ceremony for their new terminal at PortMiami which will soon be home to their first ship, Scarlet
‘Pent-up Demand’ for Cruising Says CEO Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd
After more than 30 years at the helm of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd, it’s safe to say chairman and chief executive officer Richard D. Fain is one of the most important people in the industry. The cruise conglomerate operates 63 ships across all its brands and in a normal year, would see m
Virgin Voyages Has a New Start Date
“Day after day, day after day, We stuck, nor breath nor motion; As idle as a painted ship Upon a painted ocean.” The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (1798) Samuel Taylor Coleridge For what seems like the hundredth time, we present to you an article about a cruise line pushing back their start
President Trump in Miami, Will He Talk Cruising?
He might be the most important man in cruising. Who could that be, you ask? Why, the President of the United States, of course. The one thing stopping us from taking a cruise vacation right now is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s no-sail order in effect since March. Who
Carnival Cruise Line Gives Us Something to Celebrate
If you’re itching to cruise like the rest of us, Carnival Cruise Line did you a favor and opened up booking for their upcoming ship Carnival Celebration! Though you’ll have to be patient, the ship doesn’t arrive until November 2022, you can still start planing your trip on board th
CDC to Lift No-Sail Order? Seatrade Cruise Virtual May Provide Answers
When Seatrade Cruise Global 2020 in Miami Beach was cancelled, it disrupted the plans of thousands of attendees just weeks before the show. There’s a great saying about life and lemons, so some creative thinking opened the door for a very new type of industry trade show. Seatrade Cru
MSC Seashore Floats Out for the First Time
It was a big day for MSC Cruises at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy. The cruise line watched their latest megaship float out for the first time. MSC Seashore will become the third of a total of four vessels in MSC Cruises’ new Seaside class of ships, following her sister ships MSC Se
First Impressions of Scarlet Lady
Who’s that Lady? For months, Virgin Voyages had been flooding social media channels with carrot-dangling teasers about its mold-breaking Scarlet Lady, the first of four ships being launched by Sir Richard Branson’s fledgling cruise line. There’d be glamorous RockStar suites, a late-sleeper
A Healthy Scarlet Lady Heads Back to Europe
It was a beautiful March morning in Miami when Virgin Voyages’ first ship Scarlet Lady slid gracefully into her berth at PortMiami. The excitement was palpable as the sleek grey and red vessel arrived, despite a warning from the State Department against cruising as COVID-19 was spreading the world
Virgin Voyages Announces New Return Date
Virgin Voyages announced today in a press release that they will begin sailing again on October 16, 2020 after pushing back their initial return date of late July. When the world first went into lockdown due to COVID-19, every cruise line had a difficult time adjusting. However, Virgin Vo
Blue Angels Salute COVID-19 Responders Over Miami
The sunny skies of South Florida were in for a treat today as the Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Squadron buzzed the skyline in a salute to COVID-19 responders working hard to flatten the curve and help those recovering from the virus. Operation “America Strong” flew over Jacksonville this mor
