For many cruisers, a stop at this beautiful private island means a day to kick-back at the beach. For me, Half Moon Cay means a cruise excursion to go horseback riding in the ocean. Half Moon Cay is Holland America’s private island in the Bahamas. It’s located halfway between Cat Island and Eleuthra, about 100 […] Read more…
Valentine’s Day marked the moment for Virgin Voyages when it began to take reservations for its first ship, Scarlet Lady. Long-anticipated was the promised reveal of the fledgling cruise line’s “secret” destination. It’s Bimini, Bahamas. Virgin Voyages announced that every cruise voyage (as Sir Richard calls it) includes a stop at The Beach Club, Virgin Voyages’ […] Read more…
You may not have heard of the Alaska Marine Highway System, but everyone in Alaska is well aware. So are most residents of the Pacific Northwest. I only learned about this nautical necessity a couple of years ago when I was researching how to get to Alaska without flying. Cruising Alaska’s Inside Passage like […] Read more…
After a fabulous first year, Holland America culinary cruises are back for a second season. Officially called the Holland America 2019 Food & Beverage Aficionado Cruises, these twelve culinary cruises are produced in conjunction with the Holland America Culinary Council. Holland America Line’s Master Chef Rudi Sodamin is joined by international chefs Jonnie Boer, David Burke, Elizabeth Falkner, Andy Matsuda, Ethan Stowell and […] Read more…
Avalon Waterways is on the move. The luxury river cruise company will launch their new Avalon Envision in Europe this April. And in 2020, Avalon just announced that another new ship, Avalon View will begin cruising on the rivers in Europe. The new Avalon View will become the 14th Suite Ship in the Avalon Waterways European […] Read more…
Whether or not to purchase an all-inclusive beverage package can be a bit tricky. All Royal Caribbean beverage packages have rules of course, especially about sharing. Their rules require that if one person in a stateroom purchases a beverage package, then BOTH must purchase a beverage package. All-Inclusive Beverage Packages Considering that the prices are […] Read more…
For Virgin Voyages, last Friday was an eventful day in Genoa and years in the planning. Sir Richard Branson and Virgin Voyages executives plus officials from Fincantieri shipyard were on hand to witness the Scarlet Lady float out. The event commemorates when the ship touches water for the first time. Similar to a new ship’s naming […] Read more…
Hurtigruten, the world’s largest expedition cruise company, has signed a memorandum of understanding for the construction of their third hybrid powered expedition cruise ship. The yet un-named new ship will be built with the same advanced technology found on Hurtigruten’s first two next-generation ships. The MS Roald Amundsen and MS Fridtjof Nansen are currently under […] Read more…
Booking your own shore excursion can be daunting… …Especially if it’s your first cruise. Whether it’s your first visit to a new port or maybe your third or fourth, chances are you’ll want to leave the ship to see and explore your destination. There could be a zillion reasons why people choose to not buy […] Read more…
A major milestone was reached earlier this week when Viking Ocean Cruises took delivery of its new Viking Jupiter, the sixth ocean ship for Viking Oceans. The ceremony took place at Fincantieri shipyard in Italy. The traditional maritime event culminated when the ship builder symbolically handed the keys for the vessel over to the ship’s owner. […] Read more…
Amtrak trains go to every cruise port in the USA. If you don’t live near a cruise ship port, your choices on how to get there are limited. Endure a long-distance car ride or for even more stress, cram yourself and your family into an airplane. Some people simply refuse to fly, which seriously can […] Read more…
It’s sort of complicated. The answer is yes you need a passport…and no you don’t. Readers ask, “I’m a United States citizen taking a cruise from the U.S. to the Caribbean. Do I need a U.S. passport”? After I received this same question again today, I decided to put together this passport advice article. Mostly, […] Read more…