Royal Caribbean is finally cutting steel for its latest class of ships, previously known as Project Sunshine, and they are promising the ship to be a quantum leap forward, as they’ve named the new ship to be the Quantum of the Seas.

We don’t know exactly what it is, but once January comes around, people just like to start planning. It could be the new year, maybe its the stress of the holiday being in the rear view mirror, it might even be just people looking to escape the winter blahs. We just know that when travelers ring in the new year, they start to plan vacations for the year ahead.  People in the travel industry often call the first three months of the year “wave season.” And booking during wave season can get you great deals. By no means is this an exhaustive list of the deals out there, but we’re sharing the best of the best today. Read more...

One of the must-see destinations in Italy is the Vatican. The world’s smallest sovereign state, it is home to St. Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel and countless priceless treasures worth a day in the Vatican Museums. But as of December 31, access is cash-only. Read more...

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 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...

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...

The Serenade of the Seas is back on the seas! Having completed is 29 million dollar renovation this month, the ship is back and sailing and there are a whole host of new reasons to take this classic Royal Caribbean ship out for a spin. A lot of times, people think newer and flashier is the way to go, but Royal Caribbean is taking steps to make every ship its best ship, and the Serenade is no exception. Here are five good reasons to sail on the Serenade in the next 12 months. Read more...