Royal Caribbean goes with “Dynamic Dining” for Quantum-class ships
In a bold move, Royal Caribbean International is shaking up the dining scene on its Quantum-class ships, eliminating main dining rooms and shipwide formal nights in favor of what the line is calling “Dynamic Dining.” Passengers on Quantum of the Seas (debuting in November) and sister
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
Trend Alert: Kids Cruise Free
Just in time for spring break, you’ll find cruise lines going after the family market big time. The major enticement? Kids cruise free! Cruise Deals Where Kids Cruise for Free Bring the kids along on a Royal Caribbean International cruise departing between May 1 and December 15, 2014, and they can
Theme Cruise Celebrates Women Who Rock
Cruisers may soon be going “Crazy on You,” or at least will have the opportunity to rock out to the music of Heart – and other top women artists – at the Grammy Festival at Sea: Women Who Rock cruise aboard Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Pearl. The 4-day Bahamas cruise in Nov
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-
The Cruise Experience of the Future
The Cruise Experience of the Future Floating islands, indoor snow and starlight voyages: cruising into tomorrow By Clare Emmett Cruise ships have come a long way since the earliest days of steam-powered passenger vessels. Today’s ships boast luxurious accommodations, modern conveniences
Miami’s Wynwood Walls
Miami’s Wynwood Walls Where street art climbs to a whole new level By Richard Varr If these walls could talk… but they do. In this winding maze of street art, bold patterns and colors scream with passion and fantasy, with raw emotion and imagination. I see luminescent cityscapes, quirky f
Tere Moana: Small in Size — Big on Luxury
Cruise Ship Review Tere Moana: Small in Size — Big on Luxury With its incredible upgrades and more intimate itineraries, this newest Paul Gauguin star is sure to make a splash … albeit with less wake. By Judi Cuervo I’ve always been intrigued by Paul Gauguin Cruises, a small, wildly successful
Top Chef at Sea
I am an unabashed fan of Bravo TV’s Top Chef – so much so that I once more or less stalked show judge (and noted chef) Tom Colicchio at a casino opening. So I think Celebrity Cruises is really smart for its new partnership “Top Chef at Sea.” You’ll remember last year Ce
Carnival Launches Name-Brand Concerts – For a Fee
Jennifer Hudson, Lady Antebellum, Daughtry, and even such classic rock groups as Foreigner and Chicago, will soon be performing live on Carnival Cruise Lines ships, as part of a first-of-its-kind shipboard concert series. For a fee, passengers will be able to see the popular acts perform in the
That’s Entertainment! Aboard MSC Divina
Entertainment Aboard MSC Divina from MSC CRUISES on Vimeo. This week I’m cruising aboard MSC Divina, the newest ship to sail year-round cruises out of Miami. The big attraction of the 3,600-passenger, 1-year-old MSC Divina is that it’s not your typical American-style cruise ship. It
Star Pride to Debut with ‘Stem-to-Stern’ Design Changes
One of the most anticipated ship redos this year is the transformation of Seabourn Pride into Windstar Cruises’ Star Pride. Operator of three upscale sailing ships, Windstar bought the 212-passenger motorized yacht, along with sister ships Seabourn Spirit and Seabourn Legend, last year.
2014 Cruise Trends
As cruise executives let their creative juices flow in terms of finding ways to enhance their product, it brings impressive new cruise ships and a number of innovations. Here are our predictions on what 2014 will bring. River cruises will continue to be a hot vacation choice. In fact, some two doze
Cruise Ship Review: Royal Princess
Cruise Ship Review: Royal Princess Veterans and first-time cruisers will find Royal Princess is truly majestic. By Lynn & Cele Seldon Christened by Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge, Catherine “Kate” Middleton, this past June just before she gave birth to baby George, the 3,560-
Join the Club: Paranormal Cruises – Now You Sea It
Join the Club: Now You Sea It… The Ports of Apparitions Cruise is sure to draw ghost-hunters and those fascinated with all things (beings?) paranormal By Clark Norton When Peter Renn was growing up next to Addington Palace just south of London — reputedly haunted by a late-19th-century Archbisho
Dinner and a Show: Cruising to Chicago (with prosciutto antipasto!)
Cruising to Chicago (with prosciutto antipasto!) Royal Caribbean’s “Ship of Entertainment” boasts a world of restaurants and a city’s worth of shows By Christine Koubek My friend Annemarie and I were meandering along a well-landscaped sidewalk on Allure of the Seas — past olive tree
MSC Divina Cruise Ship Review
Making Its Move With MSC Divina about to relocate to its new Caribbean home, it’s time to revisit this spectacular ship. By Lynn & Cele Seldon A taste of the Mediterranean is coming to the Caribbean this winter … and it’s the MSC Divina that’s on the menu. After being christened last y
Meditations on Moorea
MEDITATIONS ON MOOREA One traveler rediscovers the beauty and culture of the South Pacific. By Amy Roe “I shut my eyes in order to see.” ― Paul Gauguin Not long ago, a rare traveling exhibition of Gauguin’s paintings came to an art museum near my home in Seattle. When my husband and I went t
Join the Club: Vampire Cruises
Cruises You Can Sink Your Teeth Into Vampire genre cruises draw fans looking for a “fangtastic” time. By Clark Norton Vampires — those sharp-fanged mythological creatures of the night who are said to subsist on the blood of the living – are as ubiquitous as Snooki these days, rising f
Gourmet Buffets
GOURMET BUFFETS Step aside, midnight pizza! There are plenty of new favorites to choose from at today’s buffets at sea. By Lynn & Cele Seldon Buffets at sea were once all about the quantity. The bigger the bowl of (jumbo) shrimp, the better! Today, quality and creativity take the fore… and c
