Can you imagine living on a cruise ship for 13 years? We’ve all heard about “Super Mario” who has been on over 950 cruises ( https://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/tourism/fl-royal-caribbean-avid-cruiser-20160429-story.html ) Forbes.com has a great story about “Captain” Morton Jablin: At the age of 94, Morton Jablin could easily pass for someone twenty years younger. He …
Read More »Carnival raises price for drink gratuities
CruiseRadio.net is reporting that Carnival cruise line is raising the price for drink gratuities. “A change to Carnival’s gratuity section on their website now states, “For beverage purchases, an automatic 18% gratuity will be added to the bill.” In the case of individual purchases, it will simply be added to …
Read More »Sir Richard Branson reveals plans for new cruise ship terminal in Miami
The Sun Sentinel.com is reporting news about the Virgin Voyages cruise ship terminal in Miami. “Company founder and London billionaire Richard Branson revealed plans Wednesday for a proposed new terminal at PortMiami that would be the base for his two upcoming cruise ships, the Scarlet Lady and another yet-to-be-named ship.” …
Read More »How a popular cruise director stays fit at sea
Anyone who has sailed with Carnival’s Matt Mitcham know he’s an amazing cruise director. Yeah, he physically fit but an added benefit is that he’s a great guy. If you’ve ever cruised, you know that it’s tempting to eat everything in sight. Guy’s Burgers, unlimited free sandwiches and pizza and …
Read More »5 tips for cruising during the holidays
Sure, cruising during the holidays sounds great. Time with family, amazing food, no cooking or cleaning, but check out my 5 tips first! Steer clear of Complainers Grumpy relatives can spoil a cruise fast. You know the ones! They constantly criticize everything from the service to the temperature of the …
Read More »Holland America Line “Club Orange” offers premium benefits
Speaking as a 3 star Mariner on Holland America Line, I’m excited about the new Club Orange that offers great benefits to those of us who haven’t had the opportunity to gain higher loyalty perks. Of course, if I spring for a Neptune or a Pinnacle Suite, I get Club …
Read More »Not a travel agent, I’m an experience designer!
For years, travel visionaries like Groove Cruise Founder Jason Beukema has preached the sermon of collecting experiences, not things. The experience of spending time with my grandson is much more important to me than buying the latest iPhone! Now an article from Bloomberg is telling travel agents like myself to …
Read More »Virgin Voyages Big Reveal: Restaurants
“Sailors” who cruise on “The Scarlet Lady”, the first ship of the Virgin Voyages brand new fleet of ships will enjoy off the chain dining venues; no buffets on this Sir Richard Branson vessel! Virgin Voyages tells us, “With an interior scheme that nods to the namesake, the bold camouflaging of …
Read More »Passport or Passport Card
One of the top questions I get from cruise passengers is “do I need a passport?” The short answer is yes. Sure, if you are sailing on a U.S. “closed-end” cruise (leaving and returning from a U.S. cruise port), you can get by with a government-issued photo i.d. and a …
Read More »Navigator of the Seas takes on water
Newsweek.com is reporting that the Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas took on water on a recent Mediterranean cruise. “A Royal Caribbean cruise ship was reportedly forced to make an emergency stop over the weekend after experiencing technical problems and “leaking water like crazy.” The vessel—named the Navigator of the …
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