Sea, Sky, and Mangroves
“That fish is walking!” gasps my wide-eyed son Freddie, pointing to a sludgy mud bank within Langkawi’s mangrove forest. He is right. Or rather, he is almost right. For this amphibious mudskipper is, in fact, shimmying with one fin fanned out like a sail on a boat; just one in a menagerie of s
Reaching The Apex
apex [ ey-peks ] noun,: the uppermost point, the highest or culminating point, peak, summit, climax. The latest addition to Celebrity Cruises’ fleet has been christened in perfect agreement with Webster’s Dictionary. Fifteen months of pandemic patience has been rewarded with the long-awaited lau
An American River Holiday
Climb back aboard with treasured purchases — homemade orange marmalade, perhaps, or hand-knitted scarves for the family. Check your watch — time for a gingerbread house-making workshop. The fragrance of pine cones wafts through the riverboat as holiday decorations twinkle. Sure sounds like a Chr
The Perfect Holiday Gifts for Cruisers
The holidays are BACK — and so is cruising! This year, you can hope to gather with family and friends for holiday dinners, drinks, parties, gift-giving, and other festivities that go far, far beyond that 60-minute video call that was the extent of last year’s holiday celebration — the one wher
Who’s Cruising to Antarctica for the 2021 Total Solar Eclipse?
A trip to Antarctica to watch a total eclipse of the sun can be the voyage of a lifetime, traveling to the ends of the Earth in order to witness such an extreme astronomical event in an environment so stark and dramatic. On December 4, 2021, the path of totality – that is, the area […]
Flavor Stars: Chefs Anthony Sasso and Steven Raichlen
Two of the world’s greatest chefs are bringing their best to sea in radically different — but delicious — ways for diners sailing aboard three of Windstar’s small ships. The chefs, Anthony Sasso and Steven Raichlen, differ in their backgrounds and culinary styles. But what they have in commo
Aweigh We Go! Three Dream Destinations – St. Maarten, Athens, and Valletta
After ships sat idle for what seemed like an eternity, cruising has returned with a race to establish homeport advantage. Straight out of the gate, favorites like St. Maarten and Athens are making strong bids for prominence, and Malta is nosing ahead of a crowded field of Mediterranean options. Sail
What Makes the Caribbean the “Fifth C” in Buying Diamonds
They sparkle, glisten, and always capture attention. Yes, the waters of the Caribbean are enough of a reason to visit but the islands that make up some of the world’s top tourist destinations are also a great place to shop for a diamond as stunning as the azure Caribbean Sea. Plentiful and usually
Future Cruising Aboard the Sustainable Catamarans of Sunreef Yachts
We’ve all learned a little about different ways of doing things lately. Individual attention. Bespoke experiences. Fresh air with a small group of friends. That’s what the future of cruising could look like aboard the sustainable catamarans of Sunreef Yachts. This luxury shipbuilder has taken
Falling into Paradise; Grenada’s Spectacular Waterfalls
Torrents tumble down rocky outposts sheltered by a leafy rainforest canopy, cascading with a sparkling white sheen into a cooling pool below — no doubt a picturesque Caribbean paradise. On Grenada, the island’s many scenic waterfalls with their swooshing downpours and scintillating mists a
Alaska Like New with UnCruise Adventures
For centuries, Alaska has represented a challenge to be conquered by resilient people seeking a new path to blaze forward. Thus, this beautiful and highly sought-after destination also represents the perfect backdrop for the beginning of the comeback story for cruising. UnCruise Adventures, the smal
The Joy of St. Croix
If you were asked to name the three U.S. Virgin Islands, St. Thomas would immediately roll off the tip of your tongue, with St. John coming a split second later. For seasoned visitors to the Caribbean, St. Croix would likely follow. Content to let its smaller siblings soak up a good portion of the C
Making Up for Lost Time: a Post-Pandemic World Cruise
They say that we make plans and God laughs. Well, God must have been doubled over in knee-slapping hysterics when last year’s lockdown coincided exactly with my retirement date. Gone were my lavish retirement party and, even more heartbreaking, two Caribbean cruises along with my ideal post-
Shop Around: Unique Hotel Boutiques
THE BEVERLY HILLS HOTEL SIGNATURE SHOP – Los Angeles, California The Beverly Hills Hotel has a storied history as a magnet for movie stars and moguls. It’s also a wonderful place to shop for preppy accessories that will make you look the part. The hotel’s Signature Shop sells classic
Galapagos of the East: Australia’s Kangaroo Island
It’s easy to visit Bali, the Island of the Gods, without encountering any gods. It’s impossible to visit Kangaroo Island without encountering a kangaroo or two, however. The roo-to-resident ratio is 14:1. But there’s more to Australia’s third-largest island than its namesake. Kangaroo Island
Med in the U.S.A.
Western civilization found its footing in Athens, Greece, and it is in that trailblazing spirit that Philadelphia was originally nicknamed the Athens of America as it set the standard for art, culture, architecture, and politics following America’s birth. (Though Philly’s City of Brotherly Love
Taste of Italy: The Best Italian Restaurants at Sea
Every year, Porthole Cruise and Travel Magazine asks its most-trusted sources — you, the readers — to vote for the best cruise offerings in our Readers’ Choice Awards. And as much as we love crowning the winners in each category, we love gleaming other intel from the big picture that readers p
Desperately Seeking Serenissmia
Pictures of wildlife returning to Venice’s canals, posted on social media during last year’s Covid-19 lockdown, were widely shared around the world. Images of chilled out ducks nesting on the canal banks and imperious swans reclaiming the canals, gliding through water the clearest and bluest it
