Some ships are just sick-struck. Take Celebrity’s Mercury, virus stricken for the third year in a row. This time, as with the other two, it’s believed to be the despised norovirus. So instead of its scheduled top in Tortola today, the Mercury heads back to Charleston, from whence it came, to arrive on Thursday. The… Continue reading Virus Returns to the Mercury
Silversea Slips into Second
Just a few days ago you may have read here that with Holland America cruising around Australia, Cunard was going to be second in the water in 2012. Oops, Silversea has slipped into No. 2. The luxury brand has a 30-day cruise set for January 2011, aboard the Silver Shadow. It will sail counterclockwise, starting… Continue reading Silversea Slips into Second
Cruise Cleanliness Perfection
Our experience has been that clean ships are the norm — you’d be hard-pressed to find a gum wrapper on the floor for more than 90 seconds. And with the number of passengers who have been ill on ships, cleanliness is critical. The CDC Vessel Sanitation Department is around for just that reasons. It inspects,… Continue reading Cruise Cleanliness Perfection
Prinsendam’s New Intimacy
We’ve never been on the Prinsendam, but maybe you have. In any case, Holland America updates to its “most intimate ship” have certainly tweaked our interest. And if you’re already booked on a ms Prinsendam cruise this year, you might be interested in knowing what the upgrades are. One, capacity has been reduced to 835… Continue reading Prinsendam’s New Intimacy
Circumnavigating Australia
Isn’t it something the way cruise lines are copy cats? Holland America goes to circumnavigate Australia, so Cunard goes to circumnavigate Australia. It happens all the time. HAL’s Volendam sails this week on a 34-day sold out cruise around Australia. Simultaneously, Cunard announces that it’s going to around Down Under (does that sound right) in 2012.… Continue reading Circumnavigating Australia