Tagged: cruises

Royal Caribbean Increases the Daily Fee Used to Tip Staff

For the third time in three years, Royal Caribbean Cruises is hiking up its "automatic gratuity"—the term for the service fee that lines recommend each passenger pays per day during a…

U.S. Government Makes It Harder for Americans to Visit Cuba

Travel to Cuba gets tougher for Americans this week.New rules released by the Trump Administration ban most independent travel to the island, requiring visitors from the U.S. to rely…

Kids Won't Be Allowed on Virgin's Cruise Line

When Virgin Voyages launches its first cruise in 2020, you can be sure of one thing: There won't be any kids on board. At a keel-laying ceremony last week, company CEO Tom McAlpin…

Same-Sex Couples Can Now Get Married on Celebrity Cruises

Celebrity Cruises will soon begin offering legal weddings for same-sex couples aboard ships in international waters, the company announced on October 11 (which, not coincidentally, was…

Norwegian Cruise Line Drinks Package Now the Priciest at Sea

Norwegian Cruise Line has raised the price of its Ultimate Beverage package, covering all alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks that a passenger consumes while on board the ship (except…

Dubrovnik Mayor Wants to Reduce the Number of Cruise Passengers in His City

If the new mayor of Dubrovnik gets his way, far fewer cruise passengers will be pouring into that Croatian city on the Adriatic coast. According to media reports, Mato Frankovic, who…

In Spite of the President's Confusing Cuba Policy, Three Major Cruise Lines Persevere in Offering Brief and Superficial Visits

There remains plenty of cruise ship capacity to Cuba for your own next holiday trip. Provided you’re willing to confine the experience to the city of Havana, you’ll find well-priced…

Optimism and Drive Will Help Tardy Travelers Find Late-Summer Vacation Vacancies

JUNE 27, 2017Miracles sometimes happen in travel. An example was my recent success in snaring five tickets for the single most heavily visited museum in the history of museums: the…

Forgotten Tourist Spots from the Earliest Frommer's Guidebooks

Though there are a number of perennial must-see tourist attractions across the globe—your Great Walls, Grand Canyons, and Big Bens—they are far outnumbered by the travel establishments…

Widest-Ever European River Cruise Ship Coming in 2019

River cruise line AmaWaterways has released details of the innovative design for the company's newest ship, the AmaMagna.Set to begin plying European waterways in 2019, the ship…

First Cruise Ship Crosses New Panama Canal Locks

A new, wider set of locks is open for business at the Panama Canal, and over the weekend the first cruise ship passed through them.Disney Cruise Line's 2,713-passenger Wonder…

A Mandatory Fee at NYC's Met?, Europe Travel Alert, and an Expanded Panama Canal: Today's Travel Briefing

MAY 4, 2017 — Good morning, everybody! Here's the latest from the world's museums, cruise ships, and tourism hotspots. U.S. GOVERNMENT ISSUES TRAVEL ALERT FOR EUROPE IN WAKE OF TERROR…

The Latest Trend Aboard Cruise Ships: Lifeguards

Something that might surprise you if you're not a regular cruiser: As recently as five years ago, lifeguards were nowhere to be found at the pool areas of the major lines' ships.…

Cruise Ship Lifeguards, Bangkok's Street Food Ban, and John Wayne's Birthday Party in Iowa: Tuesday's Travel Briefing

APRIL 25, 2017 — Good morning, everybody! Here's the latest from the world's cruise lines, small towns, and thoroughfares. BANGKOK'S FAMOUS STREET FOOD STALLS TARGETED FOR REMOVAL…

Royal Caribbean Launches Tour-Booking Site for Cruisers and Landlubbers Alike

Cruise companies have been organizing shore excursions for decades in scores of locations across the globe. Now one of those lines is offering tours and activities to everybody—not…

8 Ways Millennials Are Changing Travel

Read enough think pieces about millennials—people in their 20s and 30s who came of age around the beginning of the 21st century—and you’re liable to get a contradictory image of the…

Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cleared to Begin Cruising to Cuba

Americans will soon have the chance to travel to Cuba with a major cruise line—which means Cubans will soon have the chance to see more rum-swilling Midwesterners than they could…

TSA Fights Holiday Airport Lines, Major Cruise Lines to Begin Sailing to Cuba, and More: Today's Travel Briefing

Good morning, everybody! Here's the latest from the world's cruise ships, airports, and tourism boards. * ROYAL CARIBBEAN AND NORWEGIAN CLEARED TO BEGIN CRUISING TO CUBA (USA…

In the Most Recent of Nominations, a Distinguished Magazine Has Named Its Choices of "Best Cruise Line" for Various Needs

If you have ever been on a cruise, you have, by that act, greatly affected the contents of your mailbox. Most of the cruise lines spend large sums buying the lists of cruise…

Princess Cruise Lines Slapped with Record Fine for Deliberate Pollution

The Department of Justice has fined Princess Cruise Lines a whopping $40 million for deliberately polluting oceans and then trying to cover it up. The fine is the largest criminal…

Carnival Nixes Social-Impact Cruises in the Caribbean

Carnival Corporation has announced that the company is pulling the plug on Fathom cruises, a one-ship line introduced just last year.The point of the brand was to offer…

Trump Threatens Cuba Reversal, Japan Plans Hot-Tub Roller Coaster, and More: Today's Travel Briefing

Good morning, everybody! Here's the latest from the world's airlines, cruise ships, and theme parks.* TRUMP STILL THREATENING TO REVERSE OBAMA'S CUBA POLICY (CNBC)President-elect…

No More Glasses in Passport Photos, Cruising with Pets, and More: Today's Travel Briefing

Good morning, everybody! Here's the latest from the world's museums, cruise ships, and designated passport-acceptance facilities. * NO MORE GLASSES IN PASSPORT PHOTOS (Washington…

The Only Cruise Ship That Welcomes Dogs and Cats

Reflecting the growing trend of traveling with pets, there are tons of dog- and cat-friendly hotels and vacation rentals to choose from. But when it comes to taking your fur ball on…

Mystery Cruise Leaves Passengers in the Dark About the Itinerary

For those who think travel no longer feels like an adventure into the unknown, the U.K.'s Bolsover Cruise Club is offering a 16-night luxury cruise on which passengers will have no…