To celebrate the new Dr. Seuss book What Pet Should I Get? Tampa Bay Rays all-star Evan Longoria and Carnival Cruise Line have teamed up to help animal shelters. Longoria will be donating $100 to Pet Pal Animal Shelter for every home run he hits during the 2015 season. Carnival will be matching that donation. Read more...

Relax aboard a Carnival cruise ship and sip GIFFT Pinot Noir Rosé wine as you watch the ocean roll. The new wine was officially launched this week by “Today” show host Kathie Lee Gifford as part of her GIFFT wine collection.

“I love that I’m launching our Pinot Noir Rosé aboard Carnival with whom I’ve had such a fantastic partnership for so many years now,” Gifford said in a news release. “The fact that we can expand on that relationship through a love of wine is just all the better. I can’t imagine a better spot for folks to enjoy a glass of GIFFT wine than while relaxing out on the ocean aboard a Carnival ship.” Read more...

Ever peruse a cruise ship menu and have a difficult time choosing what to order? Do you look around at other diners to see what they may be eating?

Iceland ProCruises has a helpful way to make choosing a bit easier on its cruise ship, the Ocean Diamond. Several of the evening’s menu offerings are placed on a decorative front table as passengers enter the ship’s dining room. Seeing the beautifully presented dishes can sometimes make or break a menu choice. Read more...

Recognize this adorable puppy? He is small, made of marble and more than 500 years old. He is napping in a place that many other listeners might have been tempted to fall asleep themselves.

This is without a doubt the toughest trivia question I have asked so far. If you know the answer, you must be a very well-traveled person with a keen eye for detail. Read more...

A young boy on my Black Forest tour said he was a bit afraid of what might lurk in the dark woods. His sister expected to see fairy tale princesses. His father hoped to buy a handmade cuckoo clock. And his mother was seeking a recipe for the famed Black Forest Cake. Read more...

Carol Schreck had never been fishing in her life. But when the Grande Caribe made an unscheduled stop at a lovely marina known for its many fish, Carol decided to give it a try.

She pulled in a whopping two fish – a smallmouth bass and a catfish. “It was beginner’s luck,” Carol said modestly. Her prize catches were released back into their watery home. Read more...

Carnival Cruise Lines has long promised that travelers will have a wonderful cruise on their ships or get their money back. Last year, Carnival ramped up that promise even more with its “Great Vacation Guarantee.”

Now Carnival has announced that its popular guarantee will be offered again in 2015. Read more...

A bowling alley on a cruise ship? Why not? The mini-bowling alley on the MSC Divina certainly has its happy competitors.

The small twin alleys are located in the ship’s Sports Bar, an American-themed spot where passengers can watch pro sports on big-screen TVs while they munch on American food and quaff drinks. Read more...

When ships stop in Heidelberg, Germany, passengers can see an unusual sight down by the Old Bridge. The unusual sculptures are of a monkey and two mice.

I wasn’t with a tour guide when I saw the sculptures so didn’t know the story of the strange critters. But I was lucky enough to be on the edge of a tour group where the leader was explaining in English. Read more...

Crown Cruise Vacations President Ross Spalding says Holland America Line’s 55-Day Grand Mediterranean Voyage is just that – a grand voyage.

Departing March 11, 2016, round trip Fort Lauderdale, Fla., the 55-day voyage on the ms Prinsendam will spend numerous days at sea as well as these many interesting ports: Read more...