Articles

Cruise

Article / Passportable

First Cruise Line Announces Vaccine Requirement—Will Others Follow?

Saga Cruises, a small, U.K.–based line that caters to passengers aged 50 and older, announced the world's first Covid-19 vaccine requirement for cruise passengers this week. In a…

Article / Passportable

Key West Cruise Ban Poised to Be Overruled

We have an update on the Key West cruise ban. Remember in November when the people of that Florida city decided that cruises were more of a headache than they were worth? On Election…

Article / Cruise

Grab a Perk-Heavy Alaska Cruise at a Serious Discount Right Now—It's Fully Refundable

If you have ever wanted to cruise Alaska, this head-turning deal is packed with benefits for the price—and you can even change your mind and get your money back later.

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Royal Caribbean to Rescue Travel Planners with No-Interest Loans: A Good Thing?

For centuries in England, when you chose to go to a pub, you were also often choosing the brewery that supplied it. Many pubs were associated with only one maker of ales. And when our…

Article / Miscellaneous

6 Ways to Dream a Vacation Now, but Pay Over Time or Take It Later

News about vaccines is making people wish we could be traveling again. Vendors are already helping customers make future plans—and spread the costs over time.

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Will Vaccinations Be Required to Cruise?

At a December 9 meeting with the Travel Leaders group, a multinational network of travel agents, Norwegian Cruise Line CEO Frank Del Rio announced that the company is looking into a…

Article / Health, Insurance, Security

What's the Best Type of Covid-19 Test for Travel: PCR, Antibody, or Antigen?

There are several types of tests that detect coronavirus infection, but only one is considered the most acceptable by the majority of national entry requirements.

Article / Passportable

Royal Caribbean Calls for Volunteers for Test Sailings

As Frommer's reported a few weeks ago, the Centers for Disease Control has stipulated some changes for the giant cruise lines. If they want to start regular U.S. sailings again, they…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Holiday Travel in 2020: Safer Places to Go, Places to Stay, Road Trips

It sometimes feels like Covid-19 stripped us of the most precious parts of our humanity. Thanks to the virus, theater, dance, and music performances are too dangerous to attend, as are…

Article / Cruise

You Can Take a Tiny Sub to the "Titanic" Shipwreck—for $125,000

Starting in May 2021, OceanGate Expeditions will take small crews of "citizen scientists" in a 5-person sub to see the Titanic at the bottom of the ocean.

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Celebrity Cruises Goes All-Inclusive: Drinks, Wi-Fi Now Included in Fare

When travel collapsed, one of the first things that happened was the airlines stopped playing some of their petty pricing games with customers. Suddenly, when they realized they…

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 / Arthur Frommer Online

Pauline Frommer: A Worthy Vacation Rental Search Aggregator Has Arrived

Fewer travelers may be hitting the road right now, but among those still traveling, the top accommodation choices have shifted dramatically from a year ago. As I wrote last week, more…

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: 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 / 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 / Arthur Frommer Online

When Cruising Resumes, You Won't Be Allowed to Roam Ports Alone

Large cruises that depart the United States have been paused since mid-March, but we now know one thing about their return. Guests will no longer be able to wander ports of call on…

Article / Passportable

Rare Pink Dolphins Return to the Waters Around Hong Kong

Style mavens have declared "sorbet pink" one of the fashionable colors for fall 2020. We're happy to report that the waters around Hong Kong are very much on-trend. Rare pink…

Article / Passportable

In a Covid First, Family Kicked off Cruise for Leaving Shore Excursion

Cruises out of the United States are still banned, but in Europe, where Covid-19 infections are under much better control, cruises are just beginning to resume. MSC Cruises was the…

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…

Article / Passportable

Tourist Overload: Venice Limits Gondola Capacity Due to Heavier Visitors

The number of passengers allowed at one time aboard the iconic gondolas of Venice is being reduced from six people to five. It sounds like a social distancing thing, but, in fact,…

Article / Passportable

Mayflower Replica Soon to Sail Home to Plymouth—How to Track It Along the Way

As the Broadway musical Hamilton has shown us, the more we learn about the founders of the United States, the better equipped we are to wrestle with today's issues (though some critics…

Article / Passportable

CDC Extends Ban on Cruising in U.S. Waters Into the Autumn

The Centers for Disease Control has again extended its ban on cruising in American waters. The previous ban was scheduled to expire on September 15, a few days before the official end…