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 …
Read More »Should you take your baby (or grandbaby) on a cruise vacation?
As you may know, I’m the proud “Pop Pop” of #BabyReed aka #TheCruiseKid. You can see lots of pictures of him on my Instagram @scottlara1961. I’ve been talking to my daughter and son-in-law about the timing of taking him on his first cruise vacation (and yes, he will be Platinum …
Read More »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 …
Read More »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, …
Read More »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 …
Read More »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 …
Read More »IRS Now Blocking Hundreds of Thousands of Americans From Getting Passports
ThePointsGuy.com has an interesting article regarding the IRS and passports. “At the end of 2015, Congress approved and President Obama signed into law the “Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act” or “FAST Act.” The stated purpose of the bill was “to authorize funds for Federal-aid highways, highway safety programs, and transit …
Read More »Carnival cruise line won’t be returning to Europe anytime soon
The last time I sailed in the Med was during 1988 when I was in the Navy! I know that many Americans have enjoyed sailing on Carnival cruise ships in that part of the world. A good friend of mine recently sailed on the Carnival Horizon in Europe and found …
Read More »5 top tips for your 1st cruise vacation
Hi, I’m Scott Lara, aka, “The Cruise Genius.” With over 150 days on Holland America Line, 75 days on Carnival cruise line, and many days on Norwegian, Celebrity and Royal Caribbean, I have unique insight on cruising. It’s interesting that so many people want to save a few bucks on …
Read More »6 amazing unusual cruises for ‘Walking Dead’ fans, cat lovers and more
Mercury news.com has a great story about unusual, yet well attended theme cruises. “Whether you’re into fine wines, Klingons or cats, there’s a themed cruise out there for pretty much every demographic, from poker players to “Top Chef” devotees, craft fans and craft beer mavens. Libations lover? There’s a British …
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