Royal Caribbean Cancels Odyssey of the Seas Cruises from Israel
Unrest in Israel has forced Royal Caribbean International to cancel summer cruises in the region on board their ship Odyssey of the Seas. The brand new cruise ship was scheduled to begin sailing on June 2 from Haifa, Israel with plans to sail until October. It would have been the first time a c
Costa Luminosa Restarts from Trieste, Italy
Another cruise ship in the Costa Cruises fleet resumed operation from the port of Trieste, Italy! Costa Luminosa became the second Costa ship to restart and the first to resume cruises in the Adriatic Sea and Greece. The cruise line has plans to start two more ships for
Carnival Names Miss Dominican Republic Kimberly Jiménez Mardi Gras Godmother
Those who tuned into last night’s MISS UNIVERSE contest got to see a very special moment as Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy presented Miss Dominican Republic Kimberly Jiménez with the “Spirit of Carnival” award for embodying the company’s values
Alaska Tourism Recovery Act May Save the Cruise Season
UPDATE May 20, 2021: The U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed H.R. 1318: The Alaska Tourism Recovery Act. The bill will now head to the desk of President Joe Biden for approval. Alaskan Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan have been vocal over the past few
Choose Your Cruise – May 14, 2021
What a week for cruising! The big news of the week was the reveal of Norwegian Cruise Line’s new Prima class ships starting with the upcoming Norwegian Prima next summer. The cruise line showed off new features like infinity pools, a food hall-style eatery and even a redesigned Haven which off
CDC Relaxes Some Rules for Vaccinated Cruise Passengers
There’s great news this morning for cruisers who are fully vaccinated! In last weeks Technical Instructions for Simulated Voyages by Cruise Ship Operators under CDC’s Framework for Conditional Sailing Order, the CDC outlined exactly what needs to happen for cruise lines to begin operati
First Look at Norwegian Prima Cruise Ship Bound for Port Canaveral
Norwegian Cruise Line has a big announcement this morning! The cruise line is introducing a brand new class of cruise ships for the first time in a decade and the details sound incredible! Prima Class will feature six brand new ships, with the first, Norwegian Prima, coming in the summer of 2022.&nb
US State Department Relaxes Travel Advisory for Israel and the UK
Those looking to enjoy a vacation overseas this summer are waking up to some good news this morning. The US State Department has lowered their travel advisory for both Israel and the United Kingdom thanks to robust vaccine rollouts in both countries. The travel advisory for the United Kingdom is now
Seabourn “Very Excited” For July Cruise Restart Says President Josh Leibowitz
Following the retirement of longtime Seabourn President Rick Meadows last year, Josh Leibowitz was named the new President of the cruise line and his duties now include oversight of all aspects of the ultra-luxury brand’s operations, including revenue management, deployment and itinerary plan
Test Your Cruise Trivia with Gary Bembridge
Over the past 25 years, Gary Bembridge has helped countless cruisers and travelers get the most out of their vacations through his website and YouTube Channel “Tips for Travellers”. A veteran cruiser with nearly 80 sailings under his belt, we decided to invite Gary to join Porthole Cruis
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
Choose Your Cruise – May 7, 2021
Another week, another CDC update that doesn’t really help us at all. Sure, they outlined exactly what needs to happen during a simulated cruise, but the list of demands clearly pushes cruise lines toward the option to skip them altogether so long as their passengers are all vaccinated against
Seabourn to Set Sail in July
They say that good things come to those who wait and after a year of pandemic patience GREAT things are happening for lovers of ultra-luxury cruising. Starting in July, Seabourn Cruise Line is resuming cruises with the Seabourn Ovation sailing in Greece and the Sea
CDC Releases Technical Instructions for Simulated Voyages
Welcome to Phase 2B of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Conditional Sail Order! What is Phase 2B, you ask? It’s a set of technical instructions for what cruise lines need to do when conducting simulated voyages in order to test the efficacy of the cruise ship operato
Holland America to Resume Cruising in August
In a press conference yesterday attended by the biggest names in cruise news, Holland America Line announced they finally have a date for their restart of operations! The cruise line received approval from the government of Greece to begin sailing from Piraeus on August 15, 2021 on board their ship
Fleet-Wide Crew Vaccinations Begin for MSC Cruises
MSC Cruises was one of the first to return to operation last summer when they began sailing in the Mediterranean. The cruises looked a little different due to the new health and safety protocols implemented by the cruise line, but guests reported enjoying the experience as whole. Now, MSC Cruises is
Norwegian Cruise Line Celebrates Teacher Appreciation Week
It’s been a challenging year for everyone, but for teachers, the shift from in-person learning to virtual class had to have been one of the most difficult transitions for anyone. In recognition and celebration of the countless teachers who had to make the transition, Norwegian Cruise
Choose Your Cruise – April 30, 2021
Wow what a week for cruising! We got the opportunity to check out not one, but TWO brand new ships coming in the near future and the CDC even gave cruise lines some wiggle room when it comes to getting started again. It’s really starting to look like July is the target month for cruises [&hell
Did the CDC Just Kick Kids Off Cruise Lines?
The cruise industry was buzzing last night and this morning with the news that the CDC sent a letter to cruise lines updating and clarifying some of the rules set forth in their Conditional Sail Order. While many are rejoicing the news as a big step forward, there are some unsavory side effects that
St. Kitts Is the Island of Limitless Possibilities
Attitude is everything, just ask the people of St. Kitts. In many respects this laid-back island paradise is your quintessential Caribbean island. It’s a place where beach shack bars grill up fresh caught fish and lobster, where you can see the colorful fisherman boats dotting the horizon in the m
