New Ship: AIDAstella

  There will be four new cruise ships launched this year, fewer than usual. This week, we're giving you a snapshot of all four, and the AIDAstella is number two… Launch date: March 17 Capacity: 2,050 Staterooms: 1,097 Decks: 14 Home Port: Hamburg Where it's sailing: Northern Europe (summer), Canary Islands (winter) Ships now in… Continue reading New Ship: AIDAstella

Diamonds, Diamonds…Everywhere?

Tomorrow, in some of your homes, there will be something under the tree that sparkles and fits on your finger, hangs from your earlobe or dangles on your wrist, because that's just what happens — sometimes — at Christmas. But it's not true what they say about diamonds. They're not rare. If they were, how… Continue reading Diamonds, Diamonds…Everywhere?

Carnival: Timing Splashdowns

Have you ever considering flying down the tube they call a water slide at breakneck speed so that you can hit the water faster than your son, daughter, spouse…fill in the blanks? You haven't. Well, that makes three of us. However, the majority of cruise passengers just may be interested in such pre-chiropractic exercises. That's… Continue reading Carnival: Timing Splashdowns

This Time, Cruising Hit by Hurricane

Get ready for the hurricane. Not Sandy, the "hurricane" of stories that we're going to hear from cruisers who have been stranded while trying to reach their ship, tossed around on ships, left at sea, compensated by airlines/cruise lines, not compensated by airlines/cruise lines, missed ports, missed ships, had their cruise shortened, had their cruise… Continue reading This Time, Cruising Hit by Hurricane

More New Ships for Norwegian

As you may (or may not) remember, we've always had something of a soft spot for Norwegian Cruise Line. Not because it's better, nor bigger, nor friendlier…just because it brought us back to cruising. We've been on five Norwegian ships, almost half the fleet, but that's about to change because five will soon no longer… Continue reading More New Ships for Norwegian