Day 5 on Holland America Line’s Koningsdam brought us to our second port of call, St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. I’ve probably told this story before, but my first visit to St. Thomas was way back in 1994 on my very first cruise, aboard Royal Caribbean’s Sovereign of…
Day 4 on Holland America Line’s Koningsdam and today we’re finally hitting land for the first time on this 12-day Caribbean run. First stop: one of my top five cruise ports anywhere, San Juan, Puerto Rico. For this morning’s arrival, the bow was opened up on Deck 5 so guests…
If you’re sailing Norwegian Cruise Line out of Miami, there’s a new option that may make the PortMiami embarkation day experience at least slightly less annoying. NCL is now offering guests the ability to reserve parking in advance for Terminal B through ParkWhiz, a third-party reservation platform. Instead of driving…
Day three on Koningsdam is the last sea day before things get busy. After this, it’s five straight port days, and with Easter Sunday coming up, we’ll be spending that day in St. Lucia. So with no port stop to talk about today, this feels like a good time to…
Time for the day 2 report from Koningsdam and today is the first full day of the cruise, and we’re kicking things off with two back-to-back sea days as we make our way to our first port of call, San Juan, Puerto Rico. We’re scheduled to arrive on Wednesday, April…
It’s time to head back to another “dam” ship! After spending three weeks on Holland America Line’s Rotterdam cruising the Panama Canal, the Caribbean, and the Bahamas, I’m back onboard again, this time on Koningsdam, the lead ship in Holland America’s game-changing Pinnacle Class. Launched in 2016, Koningsdam was a…
Just when you thought Royal Caribbean’s floating amusement park ships couldn’t get any more absurd, the line went ahead and proved otherwise. Today, Royal Caribbean officially pulled back the curtain on Hero of the Seas, the fourth Icon Class ship, set to arrive in Miami in August 2027. And somehow,…
If you’re sailing with Carnival over Easter in 2026, here’s a look at what will be served in the main dining room for the holiday. It has a pretty good mix of traditional Easter favorites along with Carnival’s usual dining room options. For a lot of families, spending Easter at…
Let me say this before the resort people start firing off angry emails from a swim-up bar. There is absolutely nothing wrong with an all-inclusive resort. If your ideal vacation is sitting in the same lounger for six straight days, rotating between the pool, the buffet, and your room while…
You’ve spent months planning your dream cruise. You've picked the perfect itinerary, booked the best specialty restaurants, and meticulously packed your bags with everything you'll need for a fantastic vacation. Finally, embarkation day is here! You arrive at the port and hand your checked luggage over to the porters. You…
