CRUISES - TRAVEL NEWS

Credit: Shutterstock Cruise lines love to tempt us back to sea with a raft of special offers at intervals throughout the year, but it’s easy to bag a cruise bargain all year round when you know how... 1. Use a travel agent It might sound counter-intuitive in our digital world but talking to a real person is often the best way to get a great deal. Travel agents may include hotels and other … [Read more...]

MSC Cruises’ giant new cruise ship that will debut later this year, MSC World Europa, will be 22 decks tall and have 33 restaurants, lounges, and bars. MSC World Europa will be 150 feet wide, feature 2,626 cabins, and have more than 430,000 square feet of public space.  The cruise ship will sail her maiden cruise on December 20, 2022 and be the largest ship in the cruise line’s fleet. The … [Read more...]

It’s another cruise news update for you as the situation on crew shortages has been an important topic for the past week, especially with Carnival Cruise Line and Norwegian Cruise Line. Cruise News Update In this week’s update, there have been lots of developments from Carnival Cruise Line as it deals with crew shortage issues which are resulting in the closing of some venues and events onboard. … [Read more...]

Alaska cruises are among the most popular cruise itineraries in the world. Delivering picturesque sailings to the state’s fjords, glaciers, and historic coastal towns, it’s no wonder so many cruise passengers flock to Alaska each summer. Over half of all tourists to Alaska visit via cruise ship, and it’s estimated that around 1.5 million passengers will cruise to Alaska in 2022 alone.After … [Read more...]

Celebrity Cruises is offering their lowest prices of the year on cruises to the Caribbean, Alaska, and to Europe. From now until June 2, 2022, Celebrity Cruises is offering their lowest fares of the year that has seven night cruises in an infinite balcony cabin starting at just $399 per person. This sale from Celebrity Cruises includes the following: 7 night Caribbean cruises in an infinite … [Read more...]

The health and safety protocols that are in place onboard Royal Caribbean’s cruise ships sailing from US homeports have been extended through the summer. The protocols were due to expire on June 30, but the cruise line chose to give guests a clear idea of what to expect during summer cruises this year.  The protocols for sailing from the United States will now be in place through September … [Read more...]

Royal Caribbean has announced that they have extended their health protocols for cruise ships that depart from North America through September 30, 2022 and sailings from Europe through June 30, 2022. All of Royal Caribbean’s health protocols will remain unchanged and there will no longer be testing requirements in the terminal for cruises from Italy. Guests 12 years and older must present proof … [Read more...]

A cruise line has added new cruises to Tahiti that will sail later this year and has canceled scheduled cruises to Asia in 2022. Windstar Cruises has canceled cruises in Asia that were scheduled to sail in the fall of 2022 on Star Breeze.  The cruise ship will now stay in Alaska for an extended season before heading to Tahiti for cruises in the French Polynesia. During October 2022, … [Read more...]

Credit: Shutterstock Sponsored by Seabourn Seabourn provides the most immersive way to discover the Amazon – so start planning your spring 2023 holiday now. At 11 million years old, the Amazon region is certainly a historic hotspot and endless exploration opportunities await here for adventurers cruising fans. The navigable Amazon River is a stunning highlight, winding through one of the … [Read more...]

If you’ve considered taking a Royal Caribbean cruise, then you’ve probably come upon the cruise line’s Oasis class cruise ships. If you’re not familiar with the mega cruise ships, which are the largest in the world, you might not exactly get what all the hype is about or what the differences are.  Essentially, a cruise ship “class” is a grouping of ships that all … [Read more...]

Windstar Cruises just reported that last week marked the highest grossing week of cruise sales since the start of the pandemic and one of the biggest in company history. Sea-ing is believing that vacations on smaller yacht-like ships visiting smaller ports, waterways and destinations that larger ships can’t access is a real trend. The “Windstar Week Sale” ran May 3-13 with voyages to Windstar’s … [Read more...]

P&O Cruises has today announced dates for exclusive new performances by Gary Barlow on board Iona in the Headliner’s Theatre. He will appear on the Spain and Portugal cruise (G236) departing Southampton on October 29, 2022 and the Spain, Portugal and Canary Islands cruise (G237) departing Southampton on November 12, 2022. All proceeds from ticket sales for the shows will be donated to Child … [Read more...]

As Americans prepare to mark Memorial Day, Carnival Cruise Line is showing gratitude to current and retired military service members with a special offer running now through the end of May. Beginning today, in addition to up to 40 percent off cruise rates, active military service personnel and veterans can book a future cruise vacation with a reduced deposit and receive a special military bonus of … [Read more...]

Families sailing aboard Norwegian Cruise Line this summer will be pleased to find all youth programs open and welcoming young cruisers. This announcement comes as many cruise lines are struggling with staffing issues, particularly as the busy summer season begins, but Norwegian Cruise Line is confident its youth staffing will be up to the challenge. Youth Programs to Be Fully Open June 1 According … [Read more...]

Royal Caribbean has extended its health protocols for both North America and European departures. North America protocols will be extended for sailings departing on or before September 30, 2022. In addition, European protocols have been extended for departures through June 30, 2022.The only notable adjustment to the previous health & safety requirements includes terminal testing … [Read more...]

Amidst the issues that most cruise lines are experiencing with crew shortages, Carnival is trying its best to make life a little easier for the crew when it comes to communications. The cruise line is increasing the bandwidth available for the team members on board and will start offering crew members complimentary Whatsapp messaging.  Carnival Makes Improvements To Crew Internet Internet … [Read more...]

Cruising in Asia is making a comeback, as is the former CEO of Genting Cruises. A new cruise line owned by Malaysian billionaire Lim Kok Thay will start operations on June 15. Sailing from homeport Singapore, Genting Dream will offer guests 2-3 day cruises.  The news is somewhat controversial after Lim Kok Thay left Genting Hong Kong after the company was forced to cease operations due to … [Read more...]

Guests aboard Royal Caribbean International’s Freedom of the Seas may be surprised that their July 4, 2022 sailing does not operate on the initially planned itinerary, but instead visits the same ports, just in the reverse order. Guests have been notified of the change, which is impacting only the one cruise. Freedom of the Seas Itinerary Change In an email sent to booked guests and travel … [Read more...]

No industry on Earth was hit harder by COVID-19 than the cruise business. Packing guests into an enclosed ecosystem on a ship was just not doable. Getting people to sign up for slimmed-down experiences and mask wearing was a tough sell once ships were again allowed to operate. Still, we didn’t see any of the major operators enter bankruptcy protection, which is pretty incredible, all things … [Read more...]

Cruise agents have reported a surge in demand for ex-UK itineraries as interest in 2022 fly-cruises cools due to rising air prices, low flight availability and ongoing delays at airports. With European aviation bodies warning of disruption this summer, agents said near-term bookings for cruises from UK ports were “strong” and prices “really keen”. Phil Evans, owner of Cruise Nation, said about 50% … [Read more...]