Notes from Around the Cruise World

It’s time for some “new ship” announcements…Carnival is adding three but none will have the familiar funnel design…The newbies are going to less familiar members of the Carnival family — Costa and AIDA, the latter a little-known branch of the family residing in Germany…Costa will get a 3,700-passenger ship in 2014, its 17th and largest… Continue reading Notes from Around the Cruise World

Cruise Business Bucks Go Fast

What would you do with $300 million? More significantly, how fast could you spend it? In the cruise business, it can be dispersed just like…that! Even when it doesn’t include a new ship…a new engine…or a new captain. Or all of the above. Royal Caribbean will spend $300 million about as quietly as $300 million… Continue reading Cruise Business Bucks Go Fast

Passenger Fears, Cruise Cancelations

A while ago, Norwegian announced its Jade — which sails in Europe year-round — was canceling 15 Holy Land cruises this winter because of passenger concerns about unrest in the Middle East. In light of last weekend’s horrific tragedy in Oslo, will travel to Norway suffer? Who knows? It’s only been a few days, and… Continue reading Passenger Fears, Cruise Cancelations

Beatles Tribute Cruise…with Beatles?

The people who run Beatles Tribute Cruises are, if nothing else, ambitious. For the 2014 edition of BTC, they’re hoping to have a Beatle, or two. Since there are only two, that means they’re hoping to convince Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr to spend seven days on a cruise ships with 1,500 or so (screaming)… Continue reading Beatles Tribute Cruise…with Beatles?

Cruise Calculations in Your Space?

If you’ve read the Berlitz Handbook to Cruising, which has been around since before Maria Sharapova arrived and Roy Orbison left, you may already know what PSR means. Whether you know or not, maybe a refresher course is in order, as it was for us. The object is to tell you which ships are the… Continue reading Cruise Calculations in Your Space?