Tag: cruises

Post-Covid Cruising With Longtime Friends

“We’ve all survived! We survived a few years of the pandemic!” The theater audience on the cruise ship Norwegian Jewel in late April excitedly cheered and applauded dynamic entertainer Stephanie Pope. Yes, it was definitely good to be cruising again. In fact, this was my husband Carl’s and my sixth cruise since October 2021. We…


Cruise Industry Expects to Bring a Record Number of Visitors to Alaska, Fueling Hopes for Strong Summer Tourism

Alex DeMarban Anchorage Daily News, Alaska Anchorage—Increased capacity on cruise ships and pent-up demand will help bring a record number of cruise guests to Alaska this summer, signaling a rebound for the industry after the pandemic hampered travel in recent years, an official with a cruise trade association said this week. The anticipation comes as…


A Coastline Cruise Showcases California’s Unique Cities, Diverse Landscape

By Lacey Pfalz From TravelPulse When one thinks of being on a cruise, it’s often to warm, sunny islands surrounded by gentle turquoise waves and vibrant coral reefs. But I had the fortune to cruise somewhere a little different this spring: the coastline of California on Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Solstice ship. The itinerary included sailing…


Cruising in the Wake of the Vikings

Two shy, charming girls about age 8 approached me with delightful smiles—one holding some flowers. I motioned to them that I would like to take their photo, and their smiles grew even broader. They didn’t appear to speak English, so I wordlessly gave them each a chocolate candy bar before waving goodbye as they scampered…


Comfortable Cruise Makes Exploring ‘Down Under’ Easy

Among multiple choices one can use to navigate the Down Under countries of Australia and New Zealand is a 14-day cruise aboard Holland America Line’s 1,918-passenger Noordam that my wife and I found to be a most comfortable option. Arriving several days early in Auckland gave us time to explore New Zealand’s most important city…


Taking the Kids: Get Ready to Ride the Wave

See the whales up close in Baja or the glaciers calve in Alaska. Explore Tahiti or Japan, maybe Norway’s fjords. Kick back in the Caribbean. It’s the cruise industry’s WAVE season, which means the best deals are available from now until March, whether you are looking for an adventure on an expedition ship, a trip…


Fall Cruises Available at Rock-Bottom Prices as Cruise Lines Work Their Way Back to Profitability

By Ron Hurtibise From Miami Herald Miami–Multi-night cruises for the price of a single night in a luxury hotel? You heard right. Cruise lines, still struggling to pull themselves back into profitability after the prolonged COVID shutdown, have deeply slashed fares for hundreds of voyages this fall. Here’s how cheap your next cruise could be:…


Carnival Welcomes Unvaccinated Guests to Sail, Drops Pre-Cruise Testing for Vaccinated

The largest cruise line company in the world will start allowing unvaccinated guests to sail on one of their cruise ships and has updated its COVID-19 testing protocols for vaccinated passengers Carnival Corp. announced in updated protocols on Friday that the new guidelines will make it easier for guests to sail with simplified COVID-19 vaccination and testing guidelines…


Sailing the British Isles on the Hurtigruten Expedition

“Where’s our ship?” I asked my husband, Carl, in panic as we trekked to the tiny tender pier on the Scottish Isle of Iona. I couldn’t see it anchored where we had left it just hours earlier via a Zodiac RIB in the nearby sea. The chilly wind blew through me after I had been…


Family Fun At The Carnival Magic Ports Of Call

We’re back, as mentioned in my article just last week where I shared our 5 Favourite Things from our First Family Cruise on the Carnival Magic, I’m now sharing more on the Carnival Magic ports of call. This was a 7 day Western Caribbean Cruise aboard the Carnival Magic that we were on for one…