Articles

Cruise

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

MSC Cruises is Expanding. Allow Its President to Introduce You to the Brand

If you've never heard of MSC Cruises, you're not alone. Though the company is now the third-largest cruise brand in the world, it's still relatively new to the United States market. So…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Masks Go From Required to Recommended on Most Cruise Ships

It's been difficult keeping up with the changing protocols for shipboard vacations. The United States' Centers for Disease Control updated its Program for Cruise Ships Operating in…

Article / Honeymoons

Pauline Frommer: How to Plan a Destination Wedding in 2022 and 2023

Pent-up demand, inflation, and shortages are affecting the pricing and availability of destination weddings. Here's what you need to know—and do.

Article / Passportable

This Spring, Catch the Wave of Deals for Solo Travelers

Travel is making a slow comeback, but it hasn't returned fully yet. While tour operators are returning to the trail, demand is taking its sweet time to pick up. Cruise companies are…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

The CDC Issues Even Stricter Covid Guidance for Cruise Ships

Much of the world has been easing pandemic restrictions lately, with European countries dropping strict entry requirements and U.S. governor after U.S. governor announcing the end of…

Article / Passportable

Seattle’s Wild Hot Tub Boats: Sightsee and Soak

This month marks the 10th anniversary of an important moment in the maritime history of the Pacific Northwest: the launching of Seattle's Hot Tub Boats on February 16, 2012. Designed…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Florida Gov. DeSantis Voided a Vote in Key West, but Cruises Are Respecting It Anyway

On Election Day in November 2020, the people of Key West, Florida, a remote but heavily touristed island in the Gulf of Mexico that's barely 7 square miles in size, went to the polls…

Article / Passportable

Explore the Logs of Every Sailing of the Revered QE2 Ocean Liner on This Interactive Website

During its 40 years in service starting in 1968, Cunard's Queen Elizabeth 2 ocean liner sailed a total of nearly 6 million miles, stopping at 312 ports around the world and crossing…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Cruise Ships Aren't Covid Jails Anymore—But They Are Being Refused By Some Ports

When Covid-19 was first going global, its early appearance on cruise ships caught scientists and epidemiologists flat-footed. In the spring of 2020, we still weren't precisely sure how…

Article / Passportable

Wasted, Away on a Floating Margaritaville: Buffett's Brand Announces a Cruise Ship

It's got a catchy melody, but if you listen closely to the lyric of "Margaritaville," it's clear that it's actually a song of woe—the tale of a man stuck in a tourist trap, getting…

Article / Health, Insurance, Security

Buying Travel Insurance During Covid-19: Should You? What Kind?

If you never bought travel insurance before, you should now. When you vacation in the age of coronavirus, here's what to look for in a policy—and what it won't cover.

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

On Cruises, the Hated Muster Drill Is Dying Out. We Love What's Replacing It

The most hated fixture of cruising—the mandatory in-person safety presentation before departure—is becoming a nuisance of the past. Everyone who has cruised in the United States knows…

Article / Cruise

Do Kids Require Vaccination to Cruise? Here Are the Major Lines' Rules

A cruise line–by–cruise line look at vaccinination rules for children under 18

Article / Slideshows

Odyssey of the Seas: Photo Tour of Royal Caribbean's Cruise Ship

Royal Caribbean is one of the most popular mass-market cruise brands in the world, but that doesn't mean the average customer fully understands its varying levels of custom-built…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

"In Danger of Capsizing": Rough Seas Continue for Historic Queen Mary Ship

Things continue to look bad for the Queen Mary, the historic British ocean liner turned Southern California tourist attraction turned floating hotel turned rotting hulk. The ship,…

Article / Passportable

This Holiday Season, Cruising May Be the Most Affordable Vacation

Global supply chain woes are increasing the cost of gifts, a return to air travel is causing airfares to balloon from 2020's lows, and rental car rates are rough at the end of…

Article / Money and Fees

That Tempting Travel Deal Could Be a Rip-Off. Tips for Spotting a Real Bargain

Promoted travel deals are often just marketing—and sometimes scams. Here's how to find the actual values.

Article / Air Travel

Accidentally Traveling with Cannabis: Does Anyone Care Anymore?

If you forget you left a marijuana product in your luggage, what will happen if it's found at the airport? The answer is changing—and changing fast.

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Get Yourself to Europe Quick: River Cruises Are Up to 50% Off

Starting on November 8, Americans are going to see a whole lot of something they haven't seen much of in ages: Europeans. That's because November 8 is the day the restrictions on…

Article / Passportable

Princess Cruises Expands Onboard Gambling—To the Entire Ship

According to the North American Foundation for Gambling Addiction Help, 2.6% of adult Americans, or about 10 million people, struggle with a gambling addiction. For them, a Princess…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

New CDC Warning: Avoid Cruising If You're Pregnant, Older, a Smoker, Overweight, and More

Last Friday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) changed its guidance to reflect growing concern about the advisability of cruising. Previously, the CDC's…

Article / Passportable

This New Expedition Cruise Explores the Islands of Lesser-Touristed West Africa

Hurtigruten, the long-running ship operator that cut its teeth on coastal Norwegian service before fanning out to expedition cruising worldwide, has just announced an upcoming cruise…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Cruising Is Getting More and More Expensive for Unvaccinated Passengers

Carnival Cruise Line has become the latest major cruise company to announce that passengers who are unvaccinated or do not want to reveal their vaccination status will have to purchase…

Article / Passportable

Unvaccinated? Royal Caribbean Will Make You Buy Travel Insurance

Royal Caribbean International has added another requirement for unvaccinated cruisers in Florida: They must have travel insurance. Starting August 1, guests who do not volunteer their…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Royal Caribbean Will Charge Unvaccinated Cruisers More And Bar Them From Some Activities

Update, July 1: What follows now applies to Celebrity Cruises as well as its sister line Royal Caribbean. Celebrity has announced that for sailings from Florida, passengers who fail to…