MSC Cruises Kicks off European Season with New Ships and Itineraries
Though the German city of Hamburg traces its roots back more than a millenium, visitors to the city in recent days saw something quite contemporary docked along the banks of the Elbe River. MSC Cruises newest vessel, MSC Meraviglia, made its maiden call to the port of Hamburg in late April, marking
Vote for Your Favorites!
Porthole Cruise Magazine is kicking off its 20th Annual Readers’ Choice Awards, letting you cast your votes for the best in the world of cruising, from Best Megaship to Most Romantic Cruise Line and a host of other cruise categories. Porthole.com/RCA2018 PLUS your ballot becomes your entry t
Cruise Connection: Feel the Latin Beat
By Fabien DeGuffroy Are you a salsero (a salsa dancer or fan)? Do you enjoy the warm air and soft breezes of ocean cruising? If you answered yes to both, then a salsa cruise should be a must-do on your travel bucket list. Over the years, I’ve experienced many dance cruises — from ballroom to [&h
Super Bowl Star to Battle Queen Latifah at Horizon Naming
As part of Carnival Horizon’s naming ceremony on May 23, Jake Elliott, kicker for the Super Bowl–Champion Philadelphia Eagles, will face off against godmother Queen Latifah in a special edition of Lip Sync Battle. The invitation-only event will welcome the ship to New York City while raising mon
Cruise Deal of the Week
Book a Holland America Line cruise by June 14, 2018 and you can get pre-paid gratuities, reduced deposits, savings on fares, and up to $300 in onboard spending money per stateroom – all part of the “Ready Set Sail” promotion. Contact Holland America Line or your travel agent for more.
In Brief: Norwegian Bliss delivered, Pandaw cruises river-to-ocean, and more!
Cruise News – Apr. 20, 2018 Norwegian Cruise Line has taken delivery of Norwegian Bliss, receiving the Alaska-bound Breakaway Plus-class vessel in a ceremony in Bremerhaven, Germany. Bernard Meyer, Managing Director of Meyer Werft, officially gave control of the ship to Captain Karl Staffan Bengts
Grape Destinations: Growing Your Own Home Vegetable Garden & Pairing Your Meals with Great Napa Valley Wines
Living in the Napa Valley, we’re blessed with a very moderate, almost Mediterranean climate, from average winter highs of 60 degrees to lows of 40, and in the summer, we typically average highs of 82 degrees and lows of 53. While we know it’s perfect for growing world-class wine grapes (my profe
Grand Classica Celebrates Inaugural
Cruise News – Apr. 18, 2018 A classic ship sailed to Freeport, Grand Bahama Island, last weekend, as the second member of the Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line fleet. The Italian-designed, 1,680-passenger Grand Classica (formerly Costa neoClassica) was greeted at the Port of Palm Beach by the Bak M
In Brief: Costa’s New Look, Ritz-Carlton itineraries, and more….
Cruise News – Apr. 13, 2018 To mark the line’s 70th anniversary, Costa Cruises is introducing new livery – in the form of a stylized Italian flag curving underneath the ship’s name in larger, more decorative lettering. The new look has already debuted on Costa Mediterranea, and will soon be
Cruise Deal of the Week
Guests sailing the Caribbean aboard MSC Seaside or MSC Divina will be able to enjoy “Drinks on Us,” a promotion that gives free unlimited non-alcoholic beverages as well as bottled and draft beers, wines by the glass and house brands of vodka, rum, gin, and whiskey (a value of more than $250 per
Grape Destinations: Healdsburg to Cafayate, with Malbec and Torrontes
It just takes one grape to magically transport you from one place to another, at least in your mind. That happens when you taste a wine that clicks on your memoirs. I have had several wine-related beyond-and-back moments. Recently, my latest such experience occurred while tasting one wine at Ferrari
In Brief: Carnival adds 20 Havana trips, Viking combines ocean and river cruises, and more…
Apr. 6, 2018 Carnival Cruise Line has added another 20 voyages to Cuba on Carnival Paradise from Tampa in 2019. The 5-day trips will include day-long or overnight stays in Havana. These come in addition to the 17 Cuba cruises on Carnival Sensation from Miami in 2019. Viking Cruises announced its 201
Cruise Deal of the Week
Norwegian Cruise Line is holding a Tax-Free Spree through April 17, offering guests who book an ocean-view or better stateroom on 3-day or longer voyages a waiver for all government taxes, fees and port expenses. The deal is available on 430 cruises and can be combined with the Free at Sea on
Virgin Voyages Tech Breakthrough: Underwater Wi-Fi
Cruise News – Apr. 1, 2018 Virgin Voyages’ founder Richard Branson has opened a new frontier of technical innovation by extending Internet service to the one place most people have never had access: under the water. If successful, the new “Wa-Fi” service promises guests full connectivity eve
Princess Cruises Unveils New Features and Upgrades on Sapphire Princess
Cruise News – Mar. 28, 2018 Sapphire Princess has emerged from an extensive two-week dry dock in Singapore now displaying Princess Cruises’ signature logo on her bow. The ship has also been upgraded with enhanced onboard spaces and product innovations. “Sapphire Princess is the latest sh
Carnival Paradise Resumes Cruises After Extensive Makeover
Carnival Paradise has returned to year-round cruise service from Port Tampa Bay following an extensive month-long dry dock that added a variety of spaces and innovations, including a water park, 38 new staterooms, 98 balconies added to existing accommodations, and an array of food and beve
Country Artist Camille Rae to Perform Aboard Norwegian Bliss
Country singer-songwriter and recording artist, Camille Rae, has committed to a three-month residency aboard Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ship Norwegian Bliss, which is set to debut in April. Accompanied by her four-piece band, Rae will be seen performing country music’s hottest hi
MSC Cruises Introduces Voice-Enabled Personal Assistant
MSC Cruises has revealed a brand-new feature of MSC for Me, the company’s digital innovation program. The new digital cruise personal assistant is a ground-breaking guest service, developed in partnership with HARMAN International, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., and l
Portugal Fashion Week Kicks Off at Lisbon’s New Cruise Terminal
The 42nd Portugal Fashion Week kicked off on March 17, 2018, at the new Lisbon Cruise Terminal in the building designed by architect Carrilho da Graça. The event opened with Storytailors’ duo João Branco and Luís Sanchez, who promised not a traditional catwalk show, but a fashion show performan
Lindblad Expeditions Names First Polar Ship National Geographic Endurance
Lindblad Expeditions Holdings, Inc., a global provider of expedition cruises and adventure travel experiences, and Ulstein Group, Norwegian shipbuilder and ship designer, celebrated the keel laying of Lindblad’s first polar new build at the CRIST shipyard in Gdynia, Poland. The major milestone al
