Cruise tips

First there was Agentpalooza. Then it was business-honing workshops.

Virgin Voyages is finally bringing its adults-only cruises to the New York and Los Angeles markets.

If you want to go on an all-inclusive vacation at sea, you no longer need to book an ultra-luxury, ultra-expensive cruise line.

If you’ve never cruised before, embarking a modern vessel for the first time can be truly overwhelming. You don’t know what you don’t know, but by not doing certain things within the first hours, you risk spoiling your dream vacation.

Ongoing conflict in the Red Sea has led Princess Cruises to revise its world cruise itineraries for the Island Princess and the Crown Princess, which were scheduled to sail there in 2025.

I am the youngest of a family of six. But now, we are three: my brother, Mike; my sister, Erin; and me. In the wake of our mother's unexpected death last year, we decided the best way to honor Mom was to stay connected. The previous few years of supporting an aging parent had stressed our relationships, and with our matriarch now gone, we understood how easy it would be for us to drift apart.

A flat tire. A medical situation. A tour that runs overtime. Any of these delays could prevent a shore excursion operator from returning guests on time to a port of call and risk the ship departing without them.

The arrival of enormous ships, like the 7,000 passenger/3000 crew member Icon of the Seas, is an effective way to promote the cruise industry. But cruise companies are also launching smaller vessels designed to give passengers more individual attention, like the new Explora I from Explora Journeys.

Hard Rock International, Seminole Gaming, Royal Caribbean International, and Celebrity Cruises are joining forces in a global partnership deal that will let travelers take advantage of perks and discounts across all four of the powerhouse brands.As part of the massive deal, millions of customers who are members of each brands’ loyalty and casino rewards programs will now have access to “reciprocal benefits.” The loyalty programs include Unity by Hard Rock, Royal Caribbean’s Club Royale, and Celebrity Cruises’ Blue Chip Club. Moving forward, members of all of the programs will earn reciprocal benefits anytime they play, stay, dine, or shop at participating Hard Rock locations or sail on any Royal Caribbean or Celebrity ships.“We see this as a marriage made in heaven,” Jeff Hook, executive vice president and chief marketing officer of Seminole Hard Rock Support Services, told TravelPulse during a recent interview."If you’re customer of Hard Rock, now you don’t just have benefits with Hard Rock, you also have benefits with Royal Caribbean and Celebrity. And conversely if you're a Royal Caribbean or Celebrity member, you now have benefits with Hard Rock.”

Celestyal Cruises is expanding into the Middle East with new itineraries and new ports in the Arabian Gulf. 

Windstar Cruises is rolling out new perks to say “thank you” to travel advisors.

Last week saw big travel brands come together in a variety of ways.

Over the last few years, the mass-market cruise industry's larger-than-life mega-ships — outfitted with loud waterparks and more dining options than you could eat in a week — have dominated the spotlight.

Solo travel was one of the top trends to emerge from Forbes Travel Guide’s 2024 Summit.

After almost sinking during COVID, the cruise industry is getting hot again. New ships, from the “city at sea” 7,600 passenger Icon of the Seas (Royal Caribbean) to smaller, all-luxury ships like the 920-passenger Explora I are bringing new interest—and new cruisers—to the industry.

"Yeah, right," I muttered while staring at a deal on Royal Caribbean's homepage last week. A countdown clock just below the promotion told me that I only had seven hours, 40 minutes and 28 seconds left to pounce on the offer before it would magically disappear.

It’s about to get easier for frequent travelers to ball out on a cruise or a high-end casino vacation thanks to a new partnership between Hard Rock International and both Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises.

Are you looking to take a cruise between now and the end of the year? We have some bad news: You might have a tough time finding a cabin — at least if you want a specific type of room on a specific ship.

Trains and wine make natural partners, be it a glass of crisp white over a leisurely lunch in a restaurant car while cruising through the Alps or a rail itinerary that meanders through a region noted for its fine wines. Many of Europe’s most prized wine regions lend themselves naturally to exploration by rail.

Cruise vacations are a wonderful way to visit multiple destinations in one trip and unpack only once. And while cruises may not give people multiple days in each destination, it acts as a sampler for people to discover new places that they may possibly want to return to later.

With 71% of the earth’s surface covered by water, yachting enthusiasts have plenty of options to enjoy their passion. They can chose from five oceans, over 175 million lakes or 75 rivers that are more than 1,000 miles long. Companies such as Worth Avenue Yachts,a world-class yacht brokerage firm specializing in luxury yachts for sale, yacht charter, charter management and new yacht construction, can make the process of owning or chartering a yacht seamless.