As much as I love visiting new places, I really love sea days. This is especially true when on a ship that has a lot to offer, and at a point in the cruise that I’ve found my favorite spots. What I’d not done until today was really site outside and enjoy the Caribbean. Today’s weather was perhaps the best of the cruise, so I set out to take some of it in and then enjoy more of the wonderful entertainment on MSC Seaside. read more
Our stateroom bed on MSC Seaside is quite comfortable. Still, I somehow woke up the morning after only about five hours of sleep. Looking out the window, I saw we’d arrived in San Juan, Puerto Rico and then went back to bed for a bit - despite wanting to start the day early. Round two of waking up was slightly more successful, so we got dressed and headed to breakfast. read more
Today we arrived in Philipsburg, which is a city on the island of Saint Martin, and a destination I’ve not visited in around fifteen years. There are two parts of this beautiful and politically unique island: The Dutch side – Sint Maarten, and the French side – St Martin. The border is completely open, and noted only by roadside markers. The French side is part of the European Union, and is an overseas collectivity of the country of France, it’s largest city is Marigot. The Dutch side is one of the four countries which make up the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and it’s largest city is Philipsburg. read more
After being out a bit late yesterday evening we woke up feeling like a thousand...Yen. A late start to breakfast got us moving (along with some espresso) and we were determined to try some of the outdoor fun MSC Seaside has to offer... read more
Our first full day on Seaside was exactly the pace I enjoy: relaxed. Between the two of us, a long week of moving and a week of international travel meant we took things easy today, but still feel we took in a lot of what Seaside has to offer (as well as a nap). We enjoyed meals, some sun, entertainment, and the best stage show I've seen at sea. read more
Waking up knowing I'm going on a cruise that day always feels great. Interestingly, knowing the ship wasn't scheduled to set sail until 7:00pm made things feel a bit less rushed, even though 4:00pm sailings out of South Florida give us plenty of time to get to the ship ahead of schedule. We had some breakfast, double-checked our packing list (we don't need a repeat of this day) and got into a Lyft to head to the port around 1:00pm. read more
This Saturday (July 7) we'll be setting sail and enjoying seven nights in the Caribbean while bringing all the details to you. What makes this particularly exciting for us is that like our November sailing on Holland America, we're trying out a cruise line that is completely new to us: MSC Seaside. To add to the excitement, we're scheduled to sail to a couple of ports that we've not visited in many years. read more
Over the years cruise ships have become bigger and bigger - bringing attention and fanfare with every superlative. On the news, on social media, and in ads it seems cruise lines are constantly trying to "out-build" each other. While there is no doubt that many consumers are excited about these giant vessels, did you know that they don't represent the majority of new ships? Let's talk about why mega-ships are so popular, and what the average new cruise ship size actually is. read more
Passengers traveling with many cruise lines enjoy White Pass Scenic Railway when visiting Alaska, but now the largest cruise company in the world will own it. This week Carnival Corporation & plc announced they are purchasing TWC Enterprises Limited's White Pass & Yukon Route division in Skagway, Alaska. read more
Could pain at the pump extend to your next cruise? This week, oil prices closed at $65 a barrel, and we have to wonder if cruise lines will soon begin charging fuel supplements as they have in the past. About ten years ago operators of cruise ships and airlines had a big problem: the rising price of fuel. To solve it, they started passing unexpectedly high fuel costs along to guests in the form of “fuel supplements.” Even though it’s been years since cruise passengers were charged any of these fees, the option for lines to do this never went away, and we have a hunch you may soon be throwing in some gas money for the next time your ship commences bunkering operations... read more