Blog contributor Jackie Sheckler Finch loves river cruising, and recently spent some extra time in Memphis before her American Queen river sailing.

Since Memphis is the American Queen’s new homeport and Priscilla Presley is the boat’s godmother, I thought I’d visit the home of the city’s most famous son when I arrived a day early for my cruise. Read more...

Here at the office, we relish the thought of being completely off the grid. Disconnected, and unable to be reached is a dream for many people that never seems to pan out in reality. The call of the cell phone and internet can just be too alluring, too necessary and too familiar to stay offline for many. And although cruises offer the ability to log on, the prices can be very high – and it can keep connectivity down to a bare minimum. However, Regent is looking to change that, believe it or not. Read more...

With the new year, our thoughts are turning to new ships. In particular, the Norwegian Breakaway. Now granted, with offices near New York City, we’re partial because of its location. After all, it isn’t too often that brand new ships make New York City their homeport – but there are some truly unique features that make the Breakaway worth sailing on. We’ve come up with three great ones that we thought we’d share today. Read more...

We could hear him screaming all the way down.

When he reached the bottom of the water slide, the muscular guy with the shaved head and tattooed torso stood up with an embarrassed grin, took a sheepish half bow and walked off to the applause of onlookers. Read more...

The rumors are true, and Royal Caribbean made it official. Look for another Oasis of the Seas type ship to hit the waters in 2016. The cruise line made the announcement last week in St. Nazaire, France where the ship will be built. It’s going to be an exciting few years for the cruise line too, as the list of new ships for Royal Caribbean seems to be growing pretty rapidly! Read more...

With the new year set to begin in just a couple days, vacation planning season is about to begin. Given the strength (or lack of it) of the economy these days, a lot of travelers are looking to get the best value possible on their upcoming vacation. As always, we’re here to help, and our advice? Book today! Some of the best deals are available when booking early, and there are plenty of good reasons to book far ahead of time, we’ve just got three of the best reasons why the best deal is today’s deal. Read more...

An early morning sun sweeps off a shroud of wispy fog as the American Queen paddles her way along the Mississippi River. In the J.M. White Dining Room, I’m savoring a big Southern breakfast while a friendly dining staff delivers coffee, tea and cheerfulness. Read more...

The countdown to the new Royal Princess is on, and this week, Princess reveals what’s new and updated for the kids on board. After all, a great vacation for the families isn’t quite the same without great activities and events for kids to enjoy too! There’s a whole host of new features for the little ones on the Royal Princess. This time, the ship was designed with them in mind! Read more...

It’s a taste of the South Pacific without needing to bring the passport along. Hawaii easily makes our list of top destinations for 2013. Frankly, there’s so much to see and do that it would arguably make our list year after year. But this year in particular, there are so many great ways to see our 50th state, and birthplace of President Obama that it only makes sense to visit. Read more...

It’s been a rough year for Costa. But after a year with a lot of bad news, Costa seems to be ending the year on a very positive note, starting the construction of their newest upcoming ship, the Costa Diadema. True to its name, the future flagship of the Italian cruise line will be a crown jewel of the industry too. Read more...