For a limited time you can receive up to $1500 free onboard spending money for specialty dining, beverage packages, shore excursions and more. Spend your cash your way. Only on Royal. Live for the WOW. Plus, mention promo WOW INSURANCE when you book a new reservation and we will include travel insurance as a bonus for all guests. Read more...

Choosing a godmother for a vessel is a great responsibility. When the boat is christened, that is the official start of the vessel’s life.

For the christening of the American Queen, the event in April 2012 was celebrating not only the new launch of the vessel but also the rebirth of the legendary riverboat. Built in 1995, the American Queen was once part of a trio of  beautiful sisters. Originally owned by the Delta Queen Company, the American Queen – along with the Delta Queen and the Mississippi Queen – ruled the rivers. Devoted travelers eagerly awaited each year’s itineraries. Read more...

KEY WEST, Florida – He strutted down the street like he was cock of the walk.

“He’s beautiful. And he knows it,” a woman said, watching me try to take a photo of the confident rooster.

I think she was right. Perhaps this preening critter knew that he was a popular sight on cruise ship stops and that he could come and go as he pleased – protected by the laws of Key West. Read more...

The Royal Princess cruise ship made world-wide headlines when the vessel was christened in June 2013. Announcing the godmother for a new vessel is always an important step and definitely a newsworthy one.

But the announcement of the new Royal Princess godmother caused quite a stir. Seems that almost everything this young lady does prompts news reports. Read more...

ABOARD THE S.S. LEGACY – When Kevin Martin was a boy growing up in Missouri, his childhood ambition was to become a marine biologist or an archaeologist or maybe a doctor.

In a way, he has become all three.

“As a ship captain, I get to do a bit of all of those things,” Martin said. Read more...

It’s been a longstanding tradition for ships to have godmothers, a symbolic patron or sponsor through the ship’s life. The godmother symbolizes the spirit of the vessel.

In the mid-19^th century, it became customary for a woman of distinction to be selected for the ship godmother honor. Read more...

We seem plunked down in a different world.  It looks like something from the depths of history. Or maybe from planets beyond our orb.

Great shards of ice glisten like diamonds in deep sapphire waters. Tidewater glaciers sweep like rivers of ice down massive mountain valleys.  Mountains, some as high as 15,000 feet, rise straight out of the ocean. Snow draped peaks tower over sparkling fiords. Read more...

Here are 7 reasons to consider a family holiday cruise this year:

1.  Truly festive atmosphere – After Thanksgiving, the cruise lines get in the holiday spirit by decorating their ships from bow to stern. Some cruise lines spend in excess of $100,000 annually on holiday decorations. Christmas trees, lights, garlands and even artificial snow bring the festive season alive at sea. Hanukkah customs and celebrations also are observed. Religious services of all types are often held aboard. Read more...

Cruise vacations offer holiday sailings plus kid-specific programs, all within the inescapable confines of the cruise ship, allowing families to enjoy the holidays in a relaxed and fun freedom, says Crown Cruise Vacations President Ross Spalding.

There are a number of outstanding sailings for families. The specialists at Crown Cruise Vacations offer these sailings as examples of cruises to choose from for a high-seas family holiday: Read more...

If you happen to see the American Queen cruising along one of America’s rivers, take a close look at that name beneath the big red paddlewheel.

Proudly posted on the back of the riverboat is the American Queen’s new homeport – Memphis, Tennessee. Read more...