Cruise Stoppage Costs Alaska $800 Million
The economic toll of COVID 19 on the cruise industry is devastating, but the people of Alaska may be the biggest losers in the whole ordeal. Mike Tibbles, a Cruise Lines International Association Alaska representative, spoke to the Alaska Board of Marine Pilots this week and explained that with the
St. Thomas Eyes June 1st Return for Tourists
In an address to the people of the U.S. Virgin Islands yesterday, Governor Albert Bryan Jr. outlined a five-tier plan to reopen the islands for tourism by June 1, 2020. A stay at home order remains in effect until May 4 when things will begin to ramp up from a business and tourism standpoint.
Could Cruise Lines Make Passengers Wear Masks?
We’re starting to see what travel in a post-Coronavirus world will look like and for JetBlue passengers, that means masks are mandatory for all passengers beginning May 4th. In a press release, JetBlue became the first airline in America to institute a policy requiring face coverings, but chances
NKOTB’s Annual Cruise Goes Virtual
Thousands of New Kids on the Block fans—and the five New Kids themselves—were meant to be aboard the Carnival Conquest right now, sailing towards Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas. When the band’s eleventh annual cruise was canceled due to COVID-19—part of the industry-wide pause the coronavirus
Cunard Line Extends Pause in Operations
Citing “the continued impact of COVID 19,” Cunard Line made the decision to pause their voyages further past the initial date of May 15, 2020 previously announced. The line also announced they have cancelled the entire Alaska season and all departures on Queen Elizabeth through
More People Searching for Travel Says CEO of Revelex
For more than 20 years, Revelex has provided a powerful booking engine for dozens of major cruise lines. Company CEO David Goodis has his pulse on not just cruising, but travel as a whole, and he joined Bill Panoff to discuss the state of the industry, what changes he’s seen in digital consumer be
Happy Anniversary, HAL!
Social distancing is making celebrating a little different these days, but we wanted to give a big Happy Birthday shout out to Holland America Line, who turned 147 years old over the weekend! Way back in 1873, the Netherlands-American Steamship Company started sailing goods and people from the Nethe
Bahamian Prime Minister “We Will Not Open Our Beach”
In a nationally broadcast press conference on Sunday, Bahamian Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis spoke to his people about ongoing lockdown protocols to help prevent the spread of COVID 19. The Prime Minister was encouraged by the effectiveness of curfews and other social distancing measu
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
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
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
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 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
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
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.
