With all the pomp and ceremony befitting such a royal occasion, The Duchess of Cambridge officially launched the new Royal Princess cruise ship this morning, June 13.

“I named this ship Royal Princess,” The Duchess pronounced. “May God bless her and all who sail in her.” Read more...

We don’t normally talk about the physical ports here. After all, a destination isn’t normally defined by the building travelers pass through on the way in or out of a city. But the story behind Hong Kong’s new cruise terminal is too excellent not to share. As of this week, what used to be one of the world’s most dangerous airports has become one of the most amazing cruise ports. Read more...

Several years ago, I was driving through the Mississippi cotton fields looking for juke joints. I wanted to hear some true Delta blues.

When I pulled into the teeny town of Indianola, I got a real surprise. Pulling up at the same time was the ultimate bluesman – B.B. King himself. Turns out that Indianola is King’s hometown, the place where he is honored with a fascinating museum. He stops by there every once in a while. Read more...

Relaxation. It’s one of the key words that travelers use when they describe an ocean cruise. Norwegian Cruise Line’s spa experience really focus on providing guests a relaxing experience and the Norwegian Breakaway offers a gorgeous, relaxing Mandara Spa experience that’s fantastic for body and soul. The Breakway’s spa is a step forward for cruise vacations, with an enormous two deck footprint aboard ship, and offering some firsts to spas at sea, guaranteed to provide benefits to both body and soul. Read more...

Sales happen in the travel industry on a daily basis. So many, so often that even we can’t keep track of all of them. However, this week there are two really great sales from our travel partners that we want to shed some light on, offering great value for travelers this week only. Be it a beach and pool vacation, or a cruise to just about anywhere, there’s a special deal available this week. Read more...

Norwegian Cruise Line has been a pioneer in the cruise industry for decades and it has consistently led the trend of open seating for dinner, something which nearly every cruise line has since emulated to one degree or another. The Breakaway, however, takes this a step further with 26 different dining options on board ship, including 15 different premium dining experiences, including two restaurants by Iron Chef star, and New York restauranteur Geoffrey Zarkarian. Read more...

The Norwegian Breakaway, Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest flagship, set sail for the first time from New York City last week, and the ship is truly an evolution in cruising from the Northeast. Truth be told, its not too often that the newest and best ships in the fleet sail from New York, but the Norwegian Breakaway’s Big Apple debut is the continuation of a trend that Celebrity started with the Silhouette and Royal Caribbean is happy to continue with its upcoming Quantum of the Seas. During our short voyage out in the Atlantic Ocean, we had a chance to explore the ship from top to bottom – and one of the most comfortable spots on the ship is the studio complex. Read more...

I admit it. I love “Dancing with the Stars.”  I always look forward to hearing who the new guest celebrities will be on the popular TV show and learning which pro dancer will be paired up with which new partner forthe season.

I also love cruising.  So I was doubly happy when I heard that Holland America is combining the two for an exciting new cruise theme – “Dancing with the Stars: At Sea.” Read more...

Cruise lines seem to be in a continual game of one-upmanship. Royal Caribbean built an ice-skating rink aboard their vessels, Norwegian Cruise Line countered with a bar made entirely of ice. Carnival added a ropes course, and then Princess built a ship that has a glass-floored walkway that juts out over the ocean. With the latest announcements regarding the Quantum of the Seas, Royal Caribbean is upping the bar yet again. Read more...

The library is a popular spot on the Carnival Breeze. Not only for the books, magazines and games, but also for the card-key operated wine dispensers and literary cocktails.

Maybe sip a Hemingway’s Papa Doble while enjoying a good novel?

Surprised? The Carnival Breeze does indeed have a bar in the library, along with a first for Carnival Cruise Lines – card-key operated wine dispensers. Makes sense to me. Read more...