Virgin Voyages by Richard Branson is a cruise game changer

Entrepreneur.com has a great article about Sir Richard Branson’s startup cruise line, Virgin Voyages. Anyone who had followed Sir Richard for any length of time knows that his view of business is unique. He doesn’t like neckties! When you think of current cruises, the ships go from a party ship all …

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What I would do if I won the Powerball lottery

Considering the Powerball  jackpot is now $750 million dollars, this is what I would do with the earnings: 1. Quit my job. 2. Give my 2 kids a huge chunk of it. 3. I would charter a Carnival Cruise Line ship and invite my closest friends. This would be a …

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The top 5 all-inclusive luxury cruises

If you’ve had a chance to read my most recent post comparing all-inclusive resorts to cruises, you might have walked away sad. If you’re like me, you love a cruise vacation because you unpack once, enjoy waking up in a new port of call almost everyday, and really enjoy the …

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All-inclusive resorts vs. cruise ship vacations

As more and more long-time cruise passengers are growing weary of the same ports of call, I’m finding that many people are now turning to all-inclusive resorts for their vacation destinations. Clearly there are pros and cons of each choice, but I’m starting to believe that those who are beginning …

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How to build a modern cruise ship

My first ship, U.S.S. Samuel Eliot Morison FFG-13 Back in 1981, I was a 20 year old sailor standing in front of 3 separate pieces of my first ship, FFG-13 at the Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine. The officers and crew totaled 176 souls onboard. When you consider that …

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Cruise lines that offer military discounts

Speaking as a U.S. Navy veteran, I feel a deep sense of pride when veterans like myself are honored during sporting events. In the past, I’ve attended Jacksonville Jaguars and Chicago Cubs games and sometime during the game, veterans and current members of the military will be asked to stand …

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Exotic cruises to break the monotony of the Bahamas

Most of us are sick and tired of typical cruise destinations. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been to Nassau and Freeport in the Bahamas. Marty and I have been fortunate to sail on two southern Caribbean cruises which included stops in St. Barts, St. Kitts, Martinique, Aruba, …

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The Cruise Genius on WJXT Channel 4 in Jacksonville

As you probably know, since 2012,  I’ve been branding my cruise knowledge on social media as ScottLara1961. Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and my website all revolved around my name. It was great to be recognized on cruise ships by name, even though my wife Marty didn’t like it when women would …

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Exclusive: Wells Fargo’s Timothy Conder Talks Cruise Market Revenue

Maritime-Executive.com has a great article about the financial future for the cruise industry. “The cruise industry is in the midst of a strong upturn with increasing demand extending the booking curve and contributing to rising prices and earnings as well as record new ship construction orders. The Maritime Executive spoke …

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