Show me the way. Sometimes, it’s not the destination, but the guide who really makes the journey.
Monday Mantra I want a great guide…I want a great guide…I want a great guide… Show me the way Sometimes, it’s not the destination, but the guide who really makes the journey. The cruise lines have this whole shore excursion thing all wrong. I already know that places like The Vatican, The Lo
Five Faves: Cruise Line Apps You Can’t Do Without
Porthole’s Five Faves Five Cruise Line Apps You Can’t Do Without. Unlock your ship’s secrets with this smart software. Some cruisers like to enjoy their vacation as an opportunity to disconnect from the digital world, a chance to take the smart phone, tablet, BlackBerry, and laptop and lock th
Cruise Companions
Monday Mantra I miss Svein and Lars…I miss Svein and Lars…I miss Svein and Lars… Cruise Companions No matter the miles in between, some onboard friendships endure long after debarkation. Just when I was beginning to think most cruises were packed to the pool deck with a predictable combination
Five Faves: Insomniac-tivities (Why should all the cruise fun be had while under the sun?)
Porthole’s Five Faves Insomniac-tivities Why should all the cruise fun be had while under the sun? “…In heavy seas you feel rocked to sleep, the windows’ spume a gentle shushing, engines’ throb a mother’s pulse.” In David Foster Wallace’s beloved ode to cruising, he sho
Till Death Do We Debark
Monday Mantra I DO love cruising…I DO love cruising…I DO love cruising… Till Death Do We Debark Cruise with me, my love… on the sea, the sea of love…. My husband, Michael, and I have been married 17 years, but it could have been a lot longer if only the gods that controlled our respective
Five Faves: Culinary Keepsakes – dining experiences at sea
Porthole’s Five Faves Culinary Keepsakes Five favorite dining experiences at sea Ask any cruiser and chances are they will admit that food is key to their overall shipboard experience. While there’s no doubt that today’s cruise ships serve cuisine that rivals top-notch, land-based restaurants
See the world … from the deck of your cruise ship!
Monday Mantra I want to stay on board…I want to stay on board…I want to stay on board See the world… from the deck of your cruise ship! Sometimes, a lounge chair and a cold drink is all you need. Sometimes you meet some nutty people on a cruise, and I’d written Larry off as […]
Five Faves: Cruise Soundtracks – These recent releases can take your next vacation to music paradise.
Porthole’s Five Faves Five favorite cruise soundtracks These recent releases can take your next vacation to music paradise. Sure, there’s all kinds of groovy music on board: piano standards drifting elegantly from the atrium, Broadway tunes belted from a stage, a calypso band crooning poolside i
The Post-Cruise Inbox Blues
Monday Mantra I will stay connected…I will stay connected…I will stay connected… The Post-Cruise Inbox Blues Disconnecting is great, but you have to come back sometime. Last week, a coworker of mine returned to the office after a 7-day cruise to find 1,400 emails in her inbox. FOURTEEN HUN
Five Faves: 5 great movies about cruising … that have nothing to do with icebergs.
Porthole’s Five Faves There’s more to cruising on the silver screen than Jack holding Rose at the bow while the music swells. James Cameron makes big movies. There’s no doubt about that. Near, far, wherever you are, you’re bound to have seen his decade-spanning blockbuster. But he’s not th
Heart and Sole – A trip to the ship’s spa changes a person … or at least their cuticles.
Monday Mantra I’ll be relaxed and gorgeous…I’ll be relaxed and gorgeous…I’ll be relaxed and gorgeous… Heart and Sole A trip to the ship’s spa changes a person … or at least their cuticles. There I was in the oh-so-serene reception area of the cruise ship spa while the piped-in sitar
Cruise Lines… Long Lines? – Suitcase ready, passport ready, now get me on the ship!
Monday Mantra I just want to be on board…I just want to be on board…I just want to be on board… Cruise Lines… Long Lines? Suitcase ready, passport ready, now get me on the ship! Before days of lazing in a deck chair beneath sunny skies, before sumptuous meals in enchanting dining rooms, befo
Five Faves: Family Matters – When it comes to a group vacation, choose to cruise!
Porthole’s Five Faves Family Matters When it comes to a group vacation, choose to cruise! This summer, I spent a weeklong family vacation with 14 family members ranging in age from 4 to 71. We gathered in a five-bedroom house on Lake Tahoe for a week of sun and fun… and a crazy amount [&h
Cabin Fever – Cruising can push the buddy system past the breaking point.
Monday Mantra Cabin Fever Cruising can push the buddy system past the breaking point. I will find the ideal cabinmate… I will find the ideal cabinmate…I will find the ideal cabinmate “Now, for the first problem. Which bed do you want?” That was my first clue that the friend I would be cruisi
Five Fave Photos: Snap To It! Most Photogenic Cruise Destinations
Porthole’s Five Faves Five Fave Photos: Snap To It The world’s most photogenic cruise destinations Traveling the world is what I do. Whether for work or for fun, I’ve explored 90 countries and all seven continents. Lucky for today’s cruisers, so many of the world’s most beautiful desti
Remembering the Black Dress – Worn – and worn out – on the best of cruises
Monday Mantra Ode to The Black Dress Worn – and worn out – on the best of cruises. I need a new dress…I need a new dress…I need a new dress… It was black. It was elegant. And it seemed to have a magical ability to expand or contract in order to perfectly fit my body […]
Five Faves: Rollin’ on the River – Things to Love About a River Cruise
Porthole’s Five Faves Rollin’ on the River Five Favorite Things to Love About a River Cruise I’ve been cruising for 35 years. I’ve sailed on hundreds of ships, from my first job as a cruise director aboard Carnival Cruise Lines’ Mardi Gras to today’s big, bigger, and biggest megaships pl
Why Not Stay?
Monday Mantra Why Not Stay? Home is where we drop anchor. (Some day….) I want to move here…I want to move here…I want to move here… Whenever I think about ditching the crowds and chaos of New York City and relocating, I can never decide on a destination. Florida is too hot, upstate New Yor
Five Faves: Coldest Cruises to Beat the Heat
Porthole’s Five Faves Coldest Cruises to Beat the Heat Cure the summertime blues in these cool destinations Christmastime in the Caribbean is warm and wonderful. There’s something extra special about sailing through the Med when there’s sleet and slush filling the streets back home. But this t
Five Faves: Favorite Beers to Cheers – cruising’s best suds at sea!
Porthole’s Five Faves Favorite Beers to Cheers Lift a glass (or more) to the best suds at sea! There’s the bubbly you tip back with one hand whilst the other is still wheeling a suitcase to your new cabin home. There’s that white-or-red dilemma just as you sit down for that first dinne
