Choose Your Cruise – July 2, 2020
Happy Independence Day! This July 4th is going to be a little different than most years but that doesn’t mean we can’t have fun, celebrate our freedom, and of course, book one of these awesome all-American cruises! We have three itineraries for some of the best river cruises America has
Celestyal Cruises to Pause Until 2021
A popular Mediterranean small ship cruise line is pressing pause until 2021. In their announcement this morning, Celestyal Cruises made the difficult decision to pause operation until March 6, 2021 for their entire fleet. The cruise line had plans to return to operation after July 30, 2020, bu
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
Campfire Desserts You Can Make Anywhere
There’s nothing like enjoying a delicious dessert cooked over a campfire. The only problem is that between work, worldwide pandemics, and the daily grind our days spent in the outdoors are likely few and far between. Fortunately, you can have the taste of the outdoors without the need to ventu
REPORT: Europe to Reopen, But Not For Americans
According to a breaking news report from the New York Times this afternoon, Americans could be barred from entering European Union countries as they begin to reopen due to rising infection rates in several major states. NY Times journalist Matina Stevis-Gridneff reported that along with the United S
MSC Cruises Announces New Homeport For Two Ships
Fort Lauderdale-based MSC Cruises has announced that Port Canaveral will be the new homeport for two of their ships this upcoming winter. MSC Seaside will begin sailing from Port Canaveral beginning in November and MSC Divina at the end of March 2021. This will be the first time MSC Cruises has used
ANTI-SOCIAL DISTANCING? Solo Cruising in the Covid-19 Era
When I think of cruising in the Covid-19 era, the chorus of Eric Carmen’s 1975 pop hit “All By Myself” wafts through my mind because, more often than not, I sail solo. People sail solo for a lot of reasons. Perhaps they’re single, divorced or widowed, or maybe they’re stressed-out bu
Virgin Voyages Releases ‘Voyage Well’ Plan
We’re inching closer and closer to cruising again and another well-known cruise line has released a health and wellness program designed to give guests and crew confidence in the safety of a cruise vacation. Virgin Voyages has introduced their new ‘Voyage Well’ plan for the soft opening of Sca
Caribbean Icon Robert Hamaty Passes Away
The cruise and travel industry lost a familiar face over the weekend as Robert Hamaty, founder of the Tortuga Rum Company, passed away at the age of 72. The company’s famous rum flavored treats and souvenirs have been a staple of the Caribbean since they first began back in 1984. Hamaty was origin
River Cruising Returning to Australia
Australian cruise operator Captain Cook Cruises is returning their river cruise operations back to normal starting June 23rd on Australia’s Murray River. The 7-night ‘Welcome Back’ cruise on board the beautiful paddlewheel river ship PS Murray Princess from Renmark to Mannum in the Australian
Cruising Will Return…But When is the Question
I’m not one to moan about inconveniences, but take away my life’s passion and I’m likely to go off the deep end. Take away the ability to cruise to the four corners of the earth and you will definitely hear from me. Not to cast blame on anyone in particular or throw caution to the […]
TikTok & Its Travel Influencers: Where to Start Your Virtual Escape
If you’re over 25, maybe you first heard about TikTok about the 400th time you heard “Old Town Road.” I’m not sure I had. But then we did one as a WFH team-building exercise after our millennial assistant sent a couple celebrity tag-team brawls and Zoom meeting pencil passes as inspiration.
Turks and Caicos Plan to Reopen July 22
Last week, we reported several popular cruising destinations in the Caribbean were in the process of reopening to tourism. Over the weekend, the Turks and Caicos announced plans to reopen the island on July 22, 2020. The island had plans to reopen June 1, but Premier Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson, th
Choose Your Cruise – May 29, 2020
We know, cruise gang, the waiting isn’t fun. But! We’ve had plenty of good news this week with several popular cruise destinations announcing timelines to open up to tourism. Cruises might not be able to sail there yet, but if you wanted to hop on a plane and lay in the Caribbean sun, th
48 Hours in Singapore
Singapore is famously known as clean, green, and safe, not to mention rule-obsessed. Located just above the equator, it’s a modern and super-efficient city-state of gleaming skyscrapers, bustling shopping malls, and lush parks. A multi-ethnic melting pot, Singapore embraces the old and the new, as
Hawaii Tourism: No Cruise Visitors Until Mid-2021
UPDATE May 27 1pm: Eugene Tian, Ph.D, Economic Research Administrator for the Hawaii State Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism responded to our inquiry regarding the line in their report which stated “No cruise visitors until second half of 2021″. His clarifi
Welcome Back! U.S. Virgin Islands to Reopen June 1
There’s good news from one of America’s most popular tourist destinations! The U.S. Virgin Islands will reopen its doors to leisure travelers on Monday, June 1, 2020. Though the island is reopening, Commissioner of Tourism Joseph Boschulte is still urging people to take personal responsibility w
Australia, Spain Extend Cruise Ship Ban
While American’s spent Friday warming up the grill and preparing to pay their respects to our fallen military service members for Memorial Day, Australia took an aggressive step against cruise ships sailing to the country. The Australian Border Force, a law enforcement agency operating under
CEO Carnival Corp Talks Future Of Cruising with Porthole Cruise
Earlier this month, Arnold Donald joined editor-in-chief of Porthole Cruise Magazine, Bill Panoff, to discuss the latest in cruise news and Carnival Corporation’s response to COVID-19. Here is the exclusive part 2 of that interview. You can watch part one of the interview with Carnival Corp CEO Ar
Cruise Ship Entertainers Pivot in the Wake of COVID-19
Alan Chamo feels most at home on stage entertaining cruise audiences with his brilliant mentalism, hilarious comedy sets and edge-of-your-seat magic routines. However, without ships setting sail, this accomplished mentalist had to pivot his shows to the virtual arena and now he’s helping other
