Today is the first of two back-to-back sea days as the MSC World America begins her trip back home to PortMiami, but not before making a stop at Ocean Cay Marine Reserve in the Bahamas on Friday. Weather-wise, while hot, the afternoon was full of rain showers, hampering many of…

Our second port of call on this 7-day inaugural sailing of the new MSC Cruises flagship, MSC World America, is none other than San Juan, Puerto Rico—one of my favorite spots to visit in the Caribbean any time of the year. We were given the all-clear to head ashore around…

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has long played a critical role in ensuring the health and safety of passengers and crew aboard cruise ships through its Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP). The VSP conducts unannounced inspections to evaluate cruise ships’ compliance with public health standards, focusing on areas…

Today is our first port of call on this 7-day inaugural cruise through the Eastern Caribbean on the MSC World America. We arrived at the Taino Bay cruise port in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic around 9 a.m., and guests were given the all-clear shortly thereafter. Many tend to confuse Puerto…

Day 2 on the new flagship of the MSC Cruises fleet, MSC World America, saw us spend the day at sea as we head to our first port of call, Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic, as part of the ship’s inaugural sailing. I’m a bit on the cranky side…

The long-anticipated arrival of MSC Cruises’ MSC World America is here, and I’m off on the inaugural sailing of the line’s new flagship. Fresh from the shipyard in France, World America is the second of the line’s World-class vessels, the first being World Europa, launched in 2022. This class of…

If you’re planning a trip with MSC Cruises that includes a stop at Ocean Cay Marine Reserve in The Bahamas, there's something new you may want to check out in between sunbathing and wave running. The MSC Foundation just opened its brand-new Marine Conservation Center on the island, and it’s…

If you’ve ever cruised to the Western Caribbean with Carnival Cruise Line, or one of their sister brands such as Holland America, chances are you’ve stepped foot in Mahogany Bay, the cruise line’s private port (not a private island) in Roatan, Honduras.  This resort-style destination is a favorite spot for…

This past weekend in Miami, Carnival Cruise Line unveiled more details about the two new Excel-class ships—Carnival Festivale and Carnival Tropicale—the final two vessels in the class. With names that are a nod to the line’s history, these ships are going to be somewhat different than their current sisters, the…

Carnival Cruise Line has many of us shaking our heads with their announcement over the weekend of a new class of cruise ship dubbed "Project Ace." The first ship is set to debut in 2029, and will have a mind-blowing capacity of 8,000 passengers.  The Project Ace ships, still unnamed,…