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There are accusations in the cruise community that Celebrity Cruises is downgrading the quality of cuisine in its main dining room in order to drive guests to speciality restaurants, where on ships like Celebrity Solstice, cover charges range from $5 per person to $35 per person.
On board Celebrity Solstice this week, I put the question [...]

An article on Yahoo Travel reports that the five happiest countries in the world — Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands — are all clustered in the same region, and all enjoy high levels of prosperity. And they are also all great cruise destinations.
Researchers at the Gallup World Poll surveyed thousands of respondents in [...]

When Crystal Cruises introduced its “As You Wish, All-Inclusive” program last year, giving a $2,000-per-couple onboard credit that passengers can spend on whatever they want, the line challenged the very notion of the “all-inclusive” cruise.
Luxury cruise lines have always hung their hats on being the most inclusive of vacations. What that means varies by the [...]

Today, Cunard Line’s Queen Victoria was anchored in Stockholm, Sweden, in the middle of the harbor that fronts Gamla Stan, Stockholm’s Old Town. The ship was a spectacle for all to see. A couple of years ago, I attended Queen Victoria’s christening ceremony and filed this report.
To truly get the feeling of what it is [...]

On June 22, I boarded Norwegian Epic for inaugural ceremonies in Europe. First impressions?
It’s big and boxy on the outside, busy and noisy on the inside. With 20 dining options and 20 bars and lounges, NCL Epic features industry-first solo traveler cabins and innovative balcony staterooms, plus a lot more. Will you love it or [...]

Twiggy took her time descending the upper deck stairs to reach the podium on Seabourn Sojourn this past Friday in London, where the iconic 1960’s British model christened Seabourn’s newest vessel on the River Thames. Indeed elegant, Twiggy exploded onto the international modelling scene as a London teenager in 1966. She went on to define [...]

Entertaining, insightful and ever-inquisitive, Peter Cox writes about his experiences during 40 years of travel around the world, personally and professionally and at the end of a fruitful career with The Yachts of Seabourn. In place of my voice here this week on Deck Plans, please enjoy Peter’s look back as he charts a new [...]

Cannes, France — This past Saturday morning, I disembarked an eight-day cruise on Star Flyer, and I can now say with confidence that a sailing on Star Flyer is unlike an ordinary cruise on ships large or small. Not once during our eight days sailing the Mediterranean did Star Flyer tie up alongside a dock, [...]

Last week as Amsterdam prepared for the lively celebrations on Queen’s Day, members of Cruise Europe gathered at their Annual General Meeting (AGM) to discuss the future of cruising in Northern and Western Europe.
AGM organizers managed to attract an impressive roster of speakers, including the key decision-makers for deployment and shore operations at Princess Cruises, [...]

The early-evening sun appears as a bright orange orb descending into the Mekong. La Marguerite slows its pace, sailing into Tan Chau, the last Vietnamese outpost before the vessel crosses into Cambodia tomorrow. On board, passengers are enjoying a variety of activities. Some are cooling off in the pool, some are sipping cocktails, some are [...]