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Article / Cruise

5 Things Cruise Passengers Must Remember to Do—or Else Get Soaked for Thousands of Dollars

Put your smartphone in airplane mode.As TheStreet warns: "It’s not uncommon to hear horror stories of first-time cruisers who neglected to put their phones in airplane mode, only to…

Article / Slideshows

How to Avoid Getting Norovirus on a Cruise Ship

First of all, the good news: Norovirus is rarely deadly. It's more like a rotten toilet-based hangover marked by a few days of nausea and, for some people, vomiting. Its biggest risk,…

Article / Cruise

Free Cruises for Casino Lovers: How Gamblers Get Invited to Cruise for Free

In casino lingo, a "whale" is a high roller—and whales can sail on the major cruise lines for next to nothing. How to win an invitation to their little-known subculture

Article / Cruise

11 Ways to Find a Cheap Cruise: The Secrets of Cruise Discounts in 2024

We’ve got the lowdown on how to make your hard-earned cruise vacation cash go even further. Here are 11 methods for booking a cheap cruise.

Article / Slideshows

Best Summer Destinations in Europe: Where to Go in 2025

Many travel pros will tell you to save Europe for the late spring or early fall in order to avoid extreme temperatures and summer crowds. But an international vacation at the end of…

Article / Slideshows

Perfect Day at CocoCay, Bahamas: What You'll Pay, What to Pack at Royal Caribbean's Private Island

Cruise ships have competed for years to come up with the wildest new onboard thrills. But with the newly invigorated CocoCay , Royal Caribbean has accelerated the entertainment arms…

Article / Slideshows

Self-Drive Barge Trips in France: The Complete Guide for Newbies

The most noteworthy journeys take you outside your comfort zone. But self-driving a barge in France ? Before my own boat trip this summer, I worried it would jettison me so far outside…

Article / Family & Kids

Family Travel on a Budget: Our Top 14 Tips

The best vacations with kids: Pauline Frommer on where to go, places to stay, getting there, food, sightseeing, and great experiences.

Article / Passportable

USA Borders Will End Covid Testing Requirement as of June 12

Just in time for the peak summer travel season, the United States will scrap a cumbersome requirement for all incoming air passengers to furnish negative results from a fresh Covid-19…

Article / Cruise

What's Better for Alaska Cruises: Round-Trips or One-Way Voyages?

Cruise lines permit passengers on Alaska journeys to end their voyages in the state to continue touring. Should you—or should you get off where you began?

Article / Honeymoons

Pauline Frommer: How to Plan a Destination Wedding in 2022 and 2023

Pent-up demand, inflation, and shortages are affecting the pricing and availability of destination weddings. Here's what you need to know—and do.

Article / Passportable

Wasted, Away on a Floating Margaritaville: Buffett's Brand Announces a Cruise Ship

It's got a catchy melody, but if you listen closely to the lyric of "Margaritaville," it's clear that it's actually a song of woe—the tale of a man stuck in a tourist trap, getting…

Article / Passportable

Princess Cruises Expands Onboard Gambling—To the Entire Ship

According to the North American Foundation for Gambling Addiction Help, 2.6% of adult Americans, or about 10 million people, struggle with a gambling addiction. For them, a Princess…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

New CDC Warning: Avoid Cruising If You're Pregnant, Older, a Smoker, Overweight, and More

Last Friday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) changed its guidance to reflect growing concern about the advisability of cruising. Previously, the CDC's…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Royal Caribbean Will Charge Unvaccinated Cruisers More And Bar Them From Some Activities

Update, July 1: What follows now applies to Celebrity Cruises as well as its sister line Royal Caribbean. Celebrity has announced that for sailings from Florida, passengers who fail to…

Article / Passportable

Classic Cars and Fine Craftsmanship: Pennsylvania's New Attractions for Spring

Horses and buggies. Those are likely what come to mind when many Americans picture Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Home to a large population of Pennsylvania Dutch (a group that…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Canada's New Cruise Ship Ban Spoils the 2021 Alaska and New England Seasons, Too

On Thursday, the government of Canada announced a ban on sailing in Canadian waters that stretches for another year—through February 22, 2022. The rule, which forbids ships carrying…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Why Key West's Ban on Big Ships Will Change Caribbean Cruises

Once a quiet fishing village and quirky haven for writers, artists, and free spirits, the Florida Straits city of Key West veered toward tourist-trap territory starting in the…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Cruise Lines Need Guinea Pigs to Try Out Virus Safety Protocols on Voyages

The Centers for Disease Control, guided by watching European cruising restart and by reviewing recommendations from the major lines, has finally dropped its ban on cruises and released…

Article / Passportable

WATCH: Cruise Ship Captain Kate McCue Schools a Rude Commenter

Captain Kate McCue of Celebrity Cruises was already worthy of admiration—in 2015, she became the first American woman ever to captain a mega-ship. As if that wasn't impressive enough,…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

The QE2 Returns to Service as a Hotel While the Queen Mary's Prospects Sink

In a recent YouTube video about why and how ships get scrapped, maritime historian Chris Frame slipped in a striking fact. Comparing the remnants of Ancient Egypt with the golden age…

Article / Passportable

WATCH: Spectacular Drone Footage of Cruise Ships Being Scrapped in Turkey

Maybe it can be argued that even before 2020, the cruise industry was reaching a saturation point. A long period of explosive growth perhaps forewarned that our cruise ship fleet was…

Article / Passportable

Welcome to Covid Island! Only Tourists Who've Been Infected Are Allowed

A popular Brazilian island is reopening to tourists even though Covid-19 continues to spread. The only catch is you have to have caught it. The archipelago of Fernando de Noronha, 218…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Cruising Is Back! It's Been a Disaster: Crew on Three Lines Test Positive

It's no secret that many countries are doing better than the United States when it comes to containing Covid-19 infections. A few of those places thought they might be able to extend…

Article / Passportable

Your Chance to Tell the CDC What Cruise Ships Should Do to Fight Covid-19

In the wake of Covid-19, what would make you feel safe enough to take a cruise? Capacity limits on ships? Short itineraries? A reliable plan for dealing with outbreaks? Stockpiles of…