Carnival Ships on the Move
Much to the delight of local officials, Carnival Cruise Lines has announced a return of its ships to Baltimore, Maryland, and Norfolk, Virginia, in 2015. The line had earlier said it would drop the ports, due in part to increased costs of operating under new federal emissions standards. Carnival
Book Now and Save
A Norwegian Deal Norwegian’s “Spectacular Bonus Days” promotion, now through February 12, brings upgrades and other savings on Norwegian Getaway, Norwegian Breakaway, and Norwegian Epic. Norwegian Getaway officially debuts next month on year-round cruises from Miami, but this w
What’s New in Luxury Travel: Free Wi-Fi, Bigger Ships
As top luxury lines make tweaks and plan for the future, some interesting trends are emerging. Free Wi-Fi All-inclusive line Crystal Cruises recently announced that members of its Crystal Society (repeat guests) would get the perk of 60 minutes of complimentary Wi-Fi each day of their cruise, begi
Carnival Launches Name-Brand Concerts – For a Fee
Jennifer Hudson, Lady Antebellum, Daughtry, and even such classic rock groups as Foreigner and Chicago, will soon be performing live on Carnival Cruise Lines ships, as part of a first-of-its-kind shipboard concert series. For a fee, passengers will be able to see the popular acts perform in the
That’s Entertainment! Aboard MSC Divina
Entertainment Aboard MSC Divina from MSC CRUISES on Vimeo. This week I’m cruising aboard MSC Divina, the newest ship to sail year-round cruises out of Miami. The big attraction of the 3,600-passenger, 1-year-old MSC Divina is that it’s not your typical American-style cruise ship. It
Star Pride to Debut with ‘Stem-to-Stern’ Design Changes
One of the most anticipated ship redos this year is the transformation of Seabourn Pride into Windstar Cruises’ Star Pride. Operator of three upscale sailing ships, Windstar bought the 212-passenger motorized yacht, along with sister ships Seabourn Spirit and Seabourn Legend, last year.
2014 Brings New Ships, Exotic Destinations, says CLIA
The 2014 State of the Cruise Industry forecast from the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) predicts a good year for cruising, of course, but there are some also some juicy tidbits in the report. CLIA’s 63 member lines are expecting 21.7 million passengers this year. That’s up
Carnival Shores Up Shore Ex with Guarantee
Looking to increase shore excursion bookings (particularly by first-time cruisers) – and to compete with third-party operators who sell tours at ports – Carnival Cruise Lines has launched an industry-first shore excursion best-price guarantee. It works this way: If you book a shore excursion t
Norwegian Epic Heading to Europe Full-Time
With a bunch of innovative features including a complex of cabins for solo travelers and Blue Man Group performing on board, Norwegian Epic made a big splash when it debuted in 2010. Spending the summers in Europe and winters in Miami, the innovative, 4,100-passenger Freestyle ship has since re
Grammys, Award-Winning Musicians, and . . . Cruising?
Something is new in the fresh sea breeze and it has to do with the Grammy Awards. You know, as in award-winning musicians. And both Norwegian Cruise Line and Carnival Cruise Lines are name-dropping. A while back, Norwegian announced that the new, Miami-centric Norwegian Getaway – which was offic
Downton Abbey Is Back. Book River Cruises Now.
Vidéo de découverte “Bordeaux River Cruise” from Antoine Favre on Vimeo. The most successful river cruise promotion by far has been Viking Cruises’ national sponsorship of PBS’ Masterpiece, featuring Downton Abbey. The problem is, if you want to book a river cruise on a popu
We Love January Cruising
January is a bit of a perfect storm when it comes to Caribbean cruise bargains. You can expect great weather, yet it’s a traditionally slower period for cruising – with some people still recovering from the rush of the holidays. Fares for 7-day Caribbean sailings start at under $500 if you
Look for a Wave of Deals
As cruise lines look to kick-start the new year by getting plenty of reservations on the books, the “Wave Season” deals are rolling in. Look for opportunities to save on cruise fares booked between January and March, the largest booking period for cruises, thanks to the annual sales event. The o
2014 Cruise Trends
As cruise executives let their creative juices flow in terms of finding ways to enhance their product, it brings impressive new cruise ships and a number of innovations. Here are our predictions on what 2014 will bring. River cruises will continue to be a hot vacation choice. In fact, some two doze
Cruising 2013: A Year in Review
Just as in years past, 2013 brought some great innovations and unique enhancements to the cruise experience. Here’s a look at some of the highlights. The 4,000-passenger, New York–based Norwegian Breakaway made waves with its Big Apple–inspired décor and a first-of-its-kind expansive water
Should smoking be banned on all cabin balconies?
Should smoking be banned on all cabin balconies? Royal Caribbean and MSC Cruises are the latest cruise lines to announce enhanced smoking bans. It seems non-smokers are winning the battle to make ships more smoke-free. The cruise lines say they are just following what customers are telling them. A C
Cruise Lines Tighten Smoking Bans
With four cruise lines adopting tighter bans on smoking, right about now those cruise passengers who want to light up may be getting a message – you are not in the majority. In fact, as P&O Cruises, Cunard, Disney Cruise Line and Seabourn prepare to implement new polices, complaints from non-s
Another Cruise Ship Bans Smoking
Remember the days when you had to push smoke aside to walk into a cruise ship casino or lounge? Fortunately, many if today’s ships have relegated smokers to tight little corners, if they are allowed to smoke at all. Now, luxury line Crystal Cruises is the latest to eliminate smoking in nearly al
Join the Club: Holistic Cruises
Join the Club: Holistic Cruises Cruising Cures Can you find wellness on the waves? By Clark Norton People love cruising for many reasons. But Betty Hoehn, a retired U.S. Steel employee from Jacksonville Beach, Florida, has a particularly compelling one. Hoehn is convinced that if she hadn’t signed
Battle of the – Chocolate Shops
Please your palate from port to port. By Kay Harwell Fernandez We’re a nation of chocolate lovers. Each year, in fact, the average American puts away 12 pounds of the palate-pleasing confection. And 10 other countries beat us in consumption! Not only does chocolate melt in our mouths, it also stim
