Choose Your Cruise – February 26, 2021
It’s Friday! And it’s also the last weekend in February. That’s a big deal because it means the 1 year anniversary of the cruise stoppage is only weeks away. It seemed unfathomable at the time we’d have to wait a whole year to cruise again, but here we are, a year old and a y
Carnival Cruise Line Pauses Operation Through May 31, 2021
Some more not-so-great news for cruisers. Carnival Cruise Line has announced a pause in operations until June 2021. The full press release from the company including a quote from company President Christine Duffy is below. Statement from Carnival Cruise Line: Carnival Cruise Line ha
Crystal Cruises to Require COVID-19 Vaccination for Guests
One of the most common questions we get asked these days is will passengers need a COVID-19 vaccination to sail when cruise lines resume operation. There wasn’t a concrete answer previously, but one major cruise line has come out and made the issue black and white. Crystal Cruises will require
Choose Your Cruise – February 19, 2021
Another week, another slew of cruise line’s pushing back their start date. Most are numb to the thought now when just a year ago cancelled cruises sent us all into panic mode. As cruise lines tread water just to stay afloat, the good news is a mega-push to get vaccines into the hands of as [&h
Choose Your Cruise – February 5, 2021
Oh, Canada. By now you’ve probably heard that our neighbors to the North have taken extreme measures against the cruise industry, banning all cruise ships over 100 people (so, pretty much all of them) from calling on Canadian ports until February 28, 2022. Without even the courtesy
Brief Encounters in the Andes
The ancient Incan warrior-priest, unmoving and in the shadows, remains unnoticed until he brandishes his long-handled battle-ax at us. My companions and I are in a cozy corner of the 500-year-old Palacio del Inka hotel in Cusco, awaiting a history lecture … we think. What we get instead is a one-m
It’s Time To Go Now
Would I be alone in sharing that over the past ten months of travel isolation, I’m tired of the ritualistic trip to the supermarket, the daily perusal of Netflix for mental stimulation and most of all the non-stop regurgitation of political discourse that’s fed to us every day? OK, good, we’re
Norwegian Cruise Line’s CEO Harry Sommer Teases New Dining Concepts
There’s a lot to love about a cruise vacation, but at the top of the list for most people is the fabulous dining options found on today’s vessels. Restaurants catering to all palates are a staple on modern cruise ships from the outstandingly elegant to the casual and delicious and everyt
Orlando Ashford Named Executive Chairman of Azamara
It wasn’t a long hiatus from the cruise industry for Orlando Ashford. The former President of Holland America Line stepped down from the company in May of 2020 after six years at the helm, but the news today is he’s back operating a cruise line! Sycamore Partners, the private equit
Exploring Windstar Cruises’ New Voyage Planner
Raise your hand if you’ve had a cruise cancelled in the past 10 months. Since March 2020, excited cruises have been booking months in advance only to have their sailing cancelled or postponed because cruise lines aren’t able to resume service. Of all the comments we’ve been getting
10 Places You Can Visit Right Now
IMPORTANT: As of January 26, 2021, the CDC requires all air travelers to have a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of boarding all airlines RETURNING TO THE UNITED STATES. Plan accordingly! Travel isn’t easy these days. It’s been a long time since Americans could hop on a
MSC Cruises Resumes Service in the Western Mediterranean
Need something positive to help you break free from the doldrums of January? MSC Cruises has resumed operation in the Mediterranean on board their flagship MSC Grandiosa after a holiday season break due to the Italian COVID-19 decree that restricted movement within the country. The&nb
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
