American Cruise Lines’ most popular itinerary — the Columbia and Snake rivers — has a new ship joining five others on that route: American Encore. Christened last May in Lewiston, Idaho (the first ship to be christened in the state of Idaho), American’s newest, largest and most luxurious riverboat, accommodating 180 passengers and 60 crew, retraces Lewis and Clark’s historic 1804-1806 expedition with considerably more style and comfort. After a pre-cruise hotel stay arranged by American in …
Cruise industry executives gathered at Brightline’s MiamiCentral Station on Monday, Nov. 17 to discuss “The Future of Cruising Starts Here,” one of a series of “Connecting Conversations” facilitated by Brightline, Florida’s private, intercity rail service. Porthole Cruise/PPI Group Chairman Bill Panoff moderated a panel that included Javier Del Rio, Senior Director Analytics, at Royal Caribbean International, Elizabeth Fettes, SVP Commercial, Cunard North America and Australia, Nathan Hickman, Chief Commercial Officer, Oceania Cruises, Marie Lee, Chief Marketing Officer, …
Sightseeing cruises to Alaska started in the 1880s and have been growing in popularity ever since. Last year, over 50 ships brought almost two million guests to our 49th state. It’s not hard to see why, given its spectacular scenery and rich Northwest Pacific cultural heritage. Having taken one cruise to Alaska on a larger ship, we were looking forward to what the experience would be like on a smaller one. We had the chance to find …
It’s official. Carnival Cruise Line cut the ribbon on its long-awaited, newest, exclusive destination — Celebration Key — Saturday on Grand Bahama island. Guests arriving from Carnival Vista, along with Carnival executives and media, were greeted by cheering locals waving Bahamian flags, a Bahamas marching band and a fireworks display for the debut of the $600 million beachfront complex. “Today marks an extraordinary milestone for Carnival as we open the first phase of our initial $600M investment, …
What’s the best time of year to see Europe? If you’re looking to escape the crowds and higher prices, the answer is the off-season. That’s true for cruises as well, as we discovered earlier this year when we took Windstar’s nine-day “Winter Italy and Dalmatian Coast” cruise, on Star Legend. Our port of embarkation was Venice, with stops planned in Zadar and Dubrovnik, Croatia, Messina in Sicily, Naples and Rome. It was late January, and while temps …
American Cruise Lines calls them “Coastal Cats.” Some of the newest ships in their fleet, they boast a sleek catamaran bow with a shallow draft that allows them more freedom to navigate and explore inland rivers or coastal regions than larger vessels. The first two — American Eagle and American Glory — were launched in 2023, followed by American Liberty and American Legend in 2024. Each accommodates 100 guests on four decks, and while smaller in size, …
Port Everglades rolled out the red carpet Saturday, Nov. 9, as Crystal Serenity made its official debut in Fort Lauderdale. City and tourism officials, along with Crystal executives and Serenity senior staff, participated in a welcoming ceremony in the ship’s Palm Court. The ship will be cruising to the Caribbean in December before departing on her world voyage in January, returning to Fort Lauderdale in November 2025. The event also served as a homecoming of sorts for …
… and getting more popular all the time. Just find a popular niche that has a loyal following, and the fanbase will eagerly join. Many are music-related (Rock Legends, Soul Train, The 80s Cruise), including the always-sold-out “Dave Koz and Frinds at Sea” cruises; the Turner Classic Movies cruise, Star Trek, Comic-Con and even clothes-optional cruises (we didn’t need to see that, right?). One of the newer entries is called Chefs Making Waves, featuring top celebrity chefs, …
The cruise industry and cruise travel is booming. For further evidence, consider the just-concluded conference in Miami Beach, where over 11,000 people from 120 countries came together for four days. With the pandemic firmly in the rear-view mirror, optimism ran high as over 600 exhibitors showcased the latest in tourism, technology and innovative new products. This is the 39th edition of the conference, the 29th held in Miami Beach, and, as usually the case, the highlight was …
Just say the word, “Tahiti,” and, for many, it instantly evokes images of serene islands rising from sparkling waters in every hue of blue, palm trees swaying over pristine, white sands. Having just returned from our first time there, I can tell you it’s just as you imagined. Pam and I made the 7,000-mile-plus, one-way trip from Florida to Tahiti’s capital city, Papeete, in two segments: Miami to San Francisco, then aboard French bee’s nonstop flight from …
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