Family, cruise line: heart-wrenching story

News item: The Colucci family books a cruise. A dozen days before departure, 5-year-old Nicolas Colucci is found to have liver cancer and needs surgery. Family did not sign up for travel insurance and asks the cruise line (Norwegian) about re-scheduling the cruise. Norwegian says no. This is a tough one. This is also extremely… Continue reading Family, cruise line: heart-wrenching story

Relief for Customs Lines in Florida?

Twice last month we disembarked from a cruise ship at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale. The first time, there was a short delay in clearing customs. The second time, it felt like we were at Disneyland or Disney World, in one of those never-ending lines that keep moving to think you're making progress. Yesterday…good news.… Continue reading Relief for Customs Lines in Florida?

The Captain's 'Norwegian' wife

They met on a cruise ship, as many captains and their mates for life do. She was from Trinidad and Tobago. He was from Norway. Not exactly the blueprint for a match made in heaven…or even the Western Hemisphere. "Sorry if I'm getting carried away," says Captain Tore Grimstad, whose ship is Royal Caribbean's Allure… Continue reading The Captain's 'Norwegian' wife

The Skinny On Building New Ships

When a cruise line that already has two new ships still being built announces that it is building two more, as Norwegian did on Monday, there's a tendency to think this is an unprecedented construction explosion. It's not. Aggressive…yes. Unheard of…no. Starting with the Breakaway Class, by 2019 Norwegian will have launched six ships in… Continue reading The Skinny On Building New Ships

'Unusual' Remark From Florida Cruise

On one of our latest cruises, to the Caribbean, we met a friendly young couple from California. They'd flown to Florida on the dreaded "red-eye" and were in the process of enjoying their first Royal Caribbean cruise, on Allure of the Seas. During a shore excursion in Jamaica, being friendly, they'd met some other passengers.… Continue reading 'Unusual' Remark From Florida Cruise