Cutting The Muster
Cruise fans have been eager for good news. And there’s a lot of hope hanging on the brand-new way many major megaships are managing the muster. The last time ships made a major change to muster drills was more than 10 years ago, when the colossal Oasis of the Seas took life-jackets out of cabins [
U.S. Virgin Islands Remind Travelers to Get Tested
The U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism reminded visitors from the mainland United States that they must to use the Travel Screening Portal at usvitravelportal.com to submit the required negative COVID-19 test results prior to traveling to the Territory. According to Commissioner of
Norwegian Cruise Line Will Restart Operation in May
In a statement this morning, Norwegian Cruise Line announced they’ve made the difficult decision to further suspend their cruise operations through April 2021. Following in the footsteps of both Carnival Corporation and Royal Caribbean Group, NCL cited protection of guests and crew as a primar
Construction Begins on Carnival Celebration
One of the most important milestones in shipbuilding took place at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland today. Construction on Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Celebration is now underway for the Exel-class ship set to debut in Miami in November 2022. The sister ship to the b
‘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
Carnival Cruise Line Extends Pause Until April
UPDATE 1:51pm: Carnival Corporation sub-brands Holland America Line and Princess Cruises have also pushed back their restart date. HAL will now resume operation in April of 2021 and Princess Cruises will resume operation in May 2021. Carnival Cruise Line issued a press release this morning ann
Chukka Caribbean Adventures Gears Up for Tourism
Something is happening in the Caribbean. Across the islands, people are getting ready for tourists to once again flock to the pristine beaches, lush jungles and scenic hiking trails that make the region so famous. It’s been a long break, but the Caribbean is ready and waiting for you to come have
Choose Your Cruise – December 23, 2020
For those of you counting down the days, we’re just a week away from 2021! From all of us here at the Porthole Cruise network, we hope you spend the next couple of days having a safe and wonderful holiday with the people who matter the most. It’s been a trying year for just about [&helli
Steve Leland’s 2020 Travel Recap
After nine months of travel lockdown, 2020 hindsight takes on new relevance as we grapple with how things could have been done differently, but then again who could have imagined the havoc that a renegade virus would wreak on the travel industry. Finishing out 2019 with a Transatlantic cruise from L
Gus Antorcha of Holland America Talks Rotterdam, New Excursions
When former Holland America Line President Orlando Ashford stepped down earlier this year, Carnival Corporation decided to promote from within, naming Carnival Cruise Line COO Gus Antorcha the new president. What made Antorcha the right man for the job was his nine years of experience at Carnival Co
Rich and Famous Eye Barbuda for Development
Barbuda may very well be the most untouched island in the whole Caribbean, but if Robert De Niro and other wealthy investors have their way, the island will see some major developments in the future. Plans to build multiple luxury resorts on the island are currently in the works, along with bu
Talking Star Plus-Class Yachts with Chris Prelog of Windstar Cruises
Have you ever seen the shows where the CEO of a major company goes undercover and spends the day working like one of the regular employees to see what it’s like? The new President of Windstar Cruises won’t have to participate in a show like that because he already knows what it’s l
The Best Last-Minute Christmas Gifts for Cruisers
December 25th is rapidly approaching and if you’ve been procrastinating your holiday gift shopping, it’s time to get up and get going. From stocking-stuffers to gifts that will really wow, the holidays are a great way to show the people in your life how much they mean to you. We’ve compiled a
VIDEO:Emerald Azzurra Float Out Ceremony
Is it January 2022 yet? That’s how long cruisers will have to wait before they can sail on board the newest yacht from Emerald Cruises. We did get a sneak peek of the new ship over the weekend when it was floated out for the first time at Halong Shipbuilding Company in Vietnam. The [&he
OceanMedallion to be Used on All Princess Cruises Ships
As cruise lines prep for a return to service, new details continue to emerge about what life on board will be like for cruisers. Princess Cruises, who’s return is scheduled for April, announced today that their MedallionClass Experience will be available across the global fleet in 2021. T
Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy on Mardi Gras, Dealing with Rule Breakers
When she was first hired as Carnival Cruise Line President back in 2014, Carnival Corporation CEO Arnold Donald called Christine Duffy “one of the most respected and dynamic leaders in the travel industry”. Nothing has proven that quotation more correct than the past nine months of 2020. Duffy w
Norwegian Cruise Line Cancels Cruises Until March 2021
Citing passenger safety and the current global environment as the reason, Norwegian Cruise Line announced this morning that they had cancelled all cruises through February 2021. They also cancelled all cruises in March 2021 for Norwegian Bliss, Norwegian Breakaway, Norwegian Epic, Norwegian Gem
Cruising Returns to Singapore Today
‘Twas the night before cruising and all through the ship, the team at Royal Caribbean was stirring to make it a great trip! The masks were all hung by the gangway with care, with hope that happy passengers would soon be there. The crew were nestled all snug in their beds while visions of lido [&he
Best Face Forward
The not-so-good news is that we’ll likely be wearing facemasks for the foreseeable future. The good news: Face coverings can be fashionable! Months after we considered ourselves lucky just to get our hands on generic disposable paper masks, there are several sustainable options on the market that
A Tale of Two Transatlantic Cruises
Cruising has always fueled the imagination with dreams of far-flung destinations, and 2020’s unimaginable pause in cruising has amplified those dreams tenfold. It is very likely that we took this indulgent mode of travel for granted … but never again. Only when it was taken away from us could we
