Frequently we associate cruising with relaxing in beautiful tropical weather.  The fact is however, that tropical weather includes hurricanes and other severe weather systems, and June 1st marks the start of the Atlantic hurricane season.  How do you plan for this if you want to take a cruise during peak hurricane season?  From being flexible about your ports of call, weighing the benefits of travel insurance, and making sure your home is secure, we'll discuss the concerns and walk through how much of a problem this really is... read more

A new cruise line has been taking bookings from across the United States, but can't seem to convince people in one particular state to book: South Dakota.  Folks in South Dakota seem to have the time to vacation, as the average full-time employee in South Dakota uses only 26% of their vacation days to travel. In fact, about 73% of South Dakotans have left over days each year!  That's why this line has a special deal (and message) just for The Mount Rushmore State... read more

As cruise lines and other parts of the tourism industry continue to take steps to be better environmental stewards, one of the simplest things that ships and ports can do is to connect to shore side power while in port - and now Germany is making that an even easier decision for cruise lines and shipping companies... read more

Alaskan cruises visit many small towns and in general they've no shortage of ways to take in the beautiful scenery.  The largest city you might visit when cruising Alaska is the capital city of Juneau.  While visiting the capital may lead you to look for adventures in the city, beautiful Mount Roberts can be enjoyed in several ways, and is just steps from your ships gangway... read more

I've been cruising since I was a small child, and I'm not sure if I experienced a single cruise where I didn't return to my stateroom at some point to find a towel folded into the shape of some animal.  It might be a monkey hanging from the ceiling, or a swan sitting on the bed - but on my next NCL cruise it may take a new shape: that of a folded towel... read more

So often when traveling, I go out of my way to avoid the touristy spots – especially when it’s a place I’ve been to many times.  Today however was a nice reminder for us that often, the touristy spots are popular because they have something nice to offer.  We enjoyed some beach time, good conversation, ran errands, and a great performance once back on the ship, on our second from last day on Holland America Line’s Niuew Statendam... read more