Cruise Lines Curate Virtual Cruise Experiences
Along with getting bigger and more luxurious, many new cruise ships are experimenting with virtual reality to enhance the passenger experience. Innovations like Royal Caribbean’s Sky Pad or the laser tag arena on the new Norwegian Encore aim to blend the real world with elements of virtual reality
Zaandam, Rotterdam Finally Dock in Florida
The weeks long ordeal for passengers and crew on board Holland America Line Zaandam and Rotterdam is finally over. The ship docked in Fort Lauderdale, FL today after numerous countries turned down their request to port due to positive cases of COVID 19 confirmed onboard. The ships are just two of ma
St Kitts & Nevis Minister of Tourism Talks Cruise Comeback
We’ve been covering a lot of news from cruise lines and their employees lately, but one thing getting neglected is how the numerous island nations across the Caribbean are doing. These islands rely on tourism to survive and cruise ship visitors often make up a large portion of their tourism revenu
Choose Your Cruise – April 3, 2020
Last week, we debuted a new column called Choose Your Cruise, where cruisers are faced with three different itineraries all over the world and asked to choose which they would most like to book. We chose three awesome cruises last week, one to Alaska, one to the Bahamas and a cruise around the Medit
Coast Guard Tells Cruise Lines to Arrange Private MEDEVAC
In a Marine Safety Bulletin sent by the U.S. Coast Guard on Sunday, Rear Admiral E.C. Jones of the 7th District told cruise ships contacting Miami for assistance with sick passengers that they’re more or less on their own. The increased demand for medical evacuations via helicopter (MEDEVAC) has c
Carnival Cancels All Cruises From San Francisco Through 2020
Unfortunately these days, cruises are getting cancelled no matter where you’re headed or which line you’re cruising with. Those booked with Carnival Cruise Line were dealt with more bad news today, particularly anyone sailing from San Francisco or onboard Carnival Radiance or Carnival Legend.&nb
Whales Come Together to Save the Humans, for a Change
For years, cruisers have donated to environmental causes that support the health and safety of whales in our oceans, but now in a bizarre twist of fate, it’s the whales who are helping out for a change. “Save the Humans” was established at a meeting of whales off the coast of Alaska’s Saint
Hawaiian Shirt Owners More Often Win Lido Deck Limbo, Study Suggests
In a research study conducted on board cruise ships in 2019, researchers found that those owning Hawaiian shirts were far more likely to take first prize in the weekly lido deck limbo competitions found on board most cruise ships. The number was even higher for those wearing a Hawaiian shirt a
45 Years at Sea! An Interview with Cruise Director Gary Hunter
For the past month, we’ve been sharing some of our favorite cruise memories from our readers and from the Porthole team. When Porthole Cruise Magazine Editor-in-Chief Bill Panoff was working on board Carnival ships in the 1970’s, one of his best friends on board was entertainer Gary Hunter.
Viking Mississippi River Cruise Ship Coming in 2022
Soon you won’t have to go far to experience the wonders of a Viking river cruise. The popular cruise line announced new itineraries for the Mississippi River upon the completion of their newest ship, Viking Mississippi, in 2022. The ship is currently in production at a shipyard in Louisiana and wi
Barbados Takes Humanitarian Approach to Cruise Ships
As more and more ports turn their backs on incoming cruise ships, even those with a clean bill of health, the Caribbean island nation of Barbados is taking a decidedly different approach. The country has welcomed incoming cruise ships looking for a place to port while they wait for the go-ahead to r
Way Out West in Australia
As an intrepid traveler I’m always on the lookout for off the radar, next big thing destinations. Finding myself half the way around the world In the very midst of an essential travel related shutdown, rather than give in and beat a retreat home I made a decision to follow through with cruis
Cruise Memories: Just What We Needed
While we wait for cruising to come back into our lives, we’ve been asking cruising from all over the world to share their cruise stories from over the years. One story we received caught our eye for its message of hope, love, perseverance and the ability of a cruise to melt away the stres
Zuiderdam Crew Jam Out To Their Own Radio Station
Anyone looking west from the beaches of Great Harbour Cay today might see something unusual; a gathering of cruise ships. In fact, eight ships from three different cruise lines have chosen to wait out the cruise delay in the calm, Bahamian waters, including Holland America Line Zuiderdam. Sinc
Interview: How P&O Britannia Pulled Off Last Minute Transatlantic
For well over a decade, Jason Bridge has travelled the world via cruise ship fulfilling one of the most important roles on board: Port Shopping Consultant. When you get off a ship in port and want to find that perfect gift or souvenir to bring home, Jason and his peers are there to guide you [&helli
#MyNextVacation: Share Your Stories & Spread Positivity
“What’s your next vacation?” It’s only four words, but it’s a question that truly has it all. Curiosity. Instant aspiration. The promise of hope, the opportunity for fellowship, and nothing ahead but blue skies, clear paths, and whatever else is conjured or awoken by that most magical of w
Cruise Memories with Bill Panoff: Carnival Mardi Gras
It’s day three of Cruise Memories with Bill Panoff! Many of you have heard of the upcoming Carnival Mardi Gras, but did you know that this will be the second ship with that name operated by Carnival Cruise Line? The first Mardi Gras set sail under the Carnival brand in 1972 and our o
Cruise Memories with Bill Panoff: The Tom Jones Years
Welcome to the second installment of cruise memories with Bill Panoff! Yesterday, we asked Bill about his first memories of cruising on board TSS Carnivale where he worked as a magician. One of the events on board the ship was a talent contest and that’s when Bill decided to try his hand
Cruise Deal of the Week – March 20, 2020
Okay, we can all agree that 2020 is the WORST. But don’t let your pure, unadulterated hatred for this year prevent you from scoring a great deal on a cruise for 2021. Since cruise lines are on a short hiatus from sailing, they’re focusing on making their future sailings some of the best
Cruise Memories with Porthole Cruise Founder Bill Panoff
Since we’re all taking a break from cruising for the time being, we decided the best thing to do was to share some of our favorite cruise memories! There’s nothing better than a cruise vacation and the memories we make while at sea and in port are some that will last forever! There
