Choose Your Cruise – April 17, 2020
Last week on Choose Your Cruise, readers selected their favorite adventure from a list of three expedition cruises. This week, we’re trading in our zodiacs and parkas for a full-bodied cabernet and a lovely selection of cheeses. That’s right, folks. We’re river cruising! You
Holland America Line Extends Temporary Pause
Holland America Line followed suit with sister line Carnival in extending their pause on cruise operations until mid-summer. In a statement yesterday, company President Orlando Ashford explained the extension was due to a number of factors surrounding the COVID 19 pandemic, including the extension o
Carnival Extends Pause on Operations Once More
On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a 100 day extension on the no-sail order from earlier in March. The order did leave some wiggle room for a return to cruising before the 100 day period, but as we commented last week, it was highly unlikely that the conditions for a re
Choose Your Cruise – April 10, 2020
It’s choose your cruise time! Last week we posted some of our favorite expedition cruises from companies who are really pushing the boundaries between luxury and adventure. Today, we’re skipping the remote environments for river cruises all over the world. If you love sipping wine, learn
CDC Issues Extension On No-Sail Order
In an order filed to the Federal Registry yesterday, the CDC shut down any hope that the cruise industry would return soon, extending the no-sail order for another 100 days. The order also outlines other measures cruise lines must comply with regarding anyone currently on board their ships to keep t
Hurtigruten Team Share Their Favorite Cruise Memories
When we asked cruisers to share their favorite vacation memories and stories while we wait to cruise again, we thought we’d get a few responses. We were thrilled when cruiser after cruiser emailed us, left comments on our Facebook posts, tweeted at us and commented on our Instagram posts sharing t
A Cruiser’s Guide to San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua
Visiting San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua, is like taking a step back in time. You won’t want to flash forward to modern day when it comes time to board the cruise ship again. This small town on a crescent-shaped bay along the Pacific Ocean invites tourists to explore its cobblestone streets still
Tortuga Rum Cakes Founder Talks History and Recovery
Some things really make you think of cruising, like Tortuga Rum Cake Company. The Caribbean brand of cakes, sauces, coffee and more was founded by Robert Hamaty and is one of the most recognizable brands from the region. We spoke with Mr. Hamaty from his home in the Cayman Islands to learn more abou
Talking FOOD & Carnival Mardi Gras with Master Chef Rudi Sodamin
Whether he’s sprinkling parsley on flaky filets of dover sole at Rudi’s Sel de Mer or cutting the ribbon at Carnival Kitchen on board the new Carnival Panorama alongside celebrity chefs Guy Fieri and Emeril Lagasse, Rudi Sodamin is a staple in the cruise industry. His resume serving up gourmet c
Tourism Outlook: US Virgin Islands Check In
Continuing our series of interviews around the Caribbean, today we interviewed Joseph Boschulte Commissioner of Tourism for the U.S. Virgin Islands about COVID 19 and what life is like on the islands. The Governor of USVI issued a state of emergency for 30 days around the time cruise ships stop
Cruise Memories From Porthole Readers
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. Our readers have emailed, tweeted, commented and videotaped themselves sharing their favorite cruise memories from over the years and many s
Cruise Passengers Barred From Commercial Flights
New protocols instituted by the Trump Administration and the Centers for Disease Control restrict cruise ship passengers from flying commercial airlines. Passengers or crew getting off cruise ships looking for a way home can still fly, but they need their cruise line to charter a plane or shell out
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
