In casino lingo, a "whale" is a high roller—and whales can sail on the major cruise lines for next to nothing. How to win an invitation to their little-known subculture
If you’re the kind of cruise passenger who loves finding generous discounts, you might want to take a…
Virgin Voyages made a splashy entrance into the cruise market a few years ago, but at the worst moment imaginable: The line's first cruise was originally scheduled for April 1, 2020. Certain world events that we have all apparently agreed to rarely speak of delayed that debut voyage to October 2021, when the Scarlet Lady…
If you’re among the 52% of Americans without a passport, you might think that taking a cruise is out of the question for you. But that’s not true—and we’re not only referring to sailings within U.S. waters (though, of course, passengers without passports can absolutely board cruises on U.S. rivers and coastlines as well as…
With consumers getting more selective on how and where they vacation, cruise lines are fighting for Americans' tourist budgets. Royal Caribbean thinks shortening trips and packing the days with activities and exclusive opportunities will keep customers hooked. "I think we are an experience-driven mindset," Royal Caribbean CEO Jason Liberty told CNBC's "Squawk…
Cruise operators have been enjoying strong demand since climbing out of the Covid pandemic, which may have some investors wondering if the good times will last. UBS believes they will. For one, the gap between cruise prices and land-based hotel prices is still "meaningfully wider" than it was in 2019, UBS analyst Robin Farley wrote…
I had signed up for an all-day activity, a tour of three cities in France by bus in just 8 hours. The tour was standard shore excursion stuff: on the bus, off the bus, herded like cattle, released into the wilds of the French Riviera to graze on croissants and buy “I Love France” t-shirts. …
While you can tour Iceland on a land-based trip, seeing the island of fire and ice by ship offers a special perspective, giving passengers front-row seats to the fjord-cut coastline and snow-capped mountain peaks. Located just below the Arctic Circle, Iceland abounds with stark beauty and dramatic landscapes that have appeared in numerous films and…
Travelers who long to spot the northern lights should consider booking a trip with Hurtigruten. The company, which has been shipping cargo and passengers along the coast of Norway since 1893, makes a "Northern Lights Promise" to anyone who books a sailing of 11 days or longer "during the auroral season," defined by Hurtigruten as…
Heidi Sarna is the cofounder of QuirkyCruise.com, a guide to small-ship cruising. Having taken river cruises all over the world—Southeast Asia, India, Europe, and North America—I know their advantages well. Everything is intimate and close up, from the scenery along the riverbanks to the convenient layout of the ship. Your cabin will never be…
It used to cost a small fortune if you wanted a cruise cabin to yourself, as you were basically paying the price for two people.
But then solo cruising became one of the hottest trends in travel.
Indeed, Google searches for “solo cruises” by U.S. users have recently more than doubled.
“I've seen an increase year…