The cruise is booked and you are set to sail for the very first time! Cruises are a really excellent way to see the world in a relaxing, stress-free environment, but its a very different type of travel than a guided tour or something on your own. There are secrets and strategies that make an experience extra special, and we want to share them with you. So without further ado, here are five tips to help you cruise like a pro! Read more...

When Lewis Hankins dons his white suit to take the stage as Mark Twain, he has a long- time routine. Before greeting his audience, Hankins says a simple prayer.

“I say, ‘David, this is for you. Daddy has never forgotten you.’”

How Hankins came to be on stage as his favorite author seems to be an act of destiny. The retired Kentucky state policeman grew up reading Twain’s works. He delved deeply into the life of the man born as Samuel Langhorne Clemens, who chose the pen name Mark Twain to become known as the father of American Literature. Read more...

If not for a tropical beach poster, Mark Dexter might not be the captain of the sensational Seabourn Odyssey. As a teen, his dream was to become an airplane pilot.

“I was devastated that I couldn’t be a pilot,” he says. “It was career day in high school and I was looking around for some other career. I remember the various pitches.” Read more...

My grandson Logan did a double take when we walked into Parrot Cay for dinner the first night of our Disney Magic cruise and a server called him by name. How did anyone know Logan’s name? We sure weren’t wearing nametags.

The mystery was solved when Simoun Olba introduced himself as our server for the entire cruise. When he saw us walking toward Table 67, I guess Simoun had no trouble figuring out who was Logan since the other three of us at that table were women. Read more...

It’s just a small thing but it shows Carnival Cruise Lines’ commitment to conserving energy and helping passengers have a more enjoyable cruise.

When my daughter Kelly and I first checked into our cabin on the Carnival Breeze, we saw attendants in the hallway helping cruisers figure out how to turn on the electricity in their rooms. Read more...

The first time I saw it, aboard the Seabourn Odyssey, I thought it might be a child’s toy. It looked like a tiny bus that a child might sit on. But the top of the wooden contraption had a slot like a piggy bank.

That’s exactly what it was – a big piggy bank. With an unusual story behind it. Read more...

Hawaii is one of those must-see destinations. But the price of a week on the islands can give some serious sticker shock! One great way to save some money and see many of the different islands that make up our 50th state is on Norwegian Cruise Line’s Pride of America. This US flagged ship is one of the only ways to cruise the Hawaiian Islands, offering round trip options from Honolulu, and has just gone through a 30 million dollar renovation. The upgrades are pretty substantial, too. Read more...

There are pluses and minuses to being the first on a cruise ship, either at its introduction or its return after a major refurbishment. It’s always nice to be the first to see, touch and play with the new features and amenities on the ship. It’s nice to be the first to sleep on the new bed, enjoy the room’s shower. But it also means running a risk that the trip may never even happen. Or, possibly even worse, some features may not yet be open or available for use. Read more...

This week, Carnival Cruise Line announced a restructuring of their fare system to take effect at the end of October. After a challenging year, for one of the world’s largest cruise lines, Carnival decided to simplify and streamline the pricing process. It isn’t without precedent. Read more...

The economy might feel a bit shaky, and the finances may not be strong enough to jet away right this second, but its still a great day to start planning a vacation. We get the question in the office a lot, “when is the best time to plan our next trip?” The answer: “Today!” In most cases, locking down a trip early helps guarantee good rates, good availability and has very little downside. And in the last few months of the year, the time is especially right to plan ahead. With fewer people looking to travel, tour companies and cruise lines are giving some of their best prices of the year, coupled with amazing amenity offers. Read more...