Safe and sound at sea?
February 19, 2006
ON Jan. 5, a 15-year-old Irish girl was seen falling or jumping from Costa Cruises' Costa Magica, which was sailing toward Cozumel, Mexico. She has not been found.
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It's never too early to sail the world
January 15, 2006
THE round-the-world cruise scene is taking on a more youthful look. Once the domain of wealthy retirees, such cruises are now attracting younger travelers.
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Ice rinks are so last year
December 25, 2005
WHAT'S up next year in the cruise industry? The surf, for one thing. And prices, for another. Also, new ships and new ports await passengers.
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Toss that plan out the porthole
December 4, 2005
PASSENGERS on a July sailing of Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas thought they were bound for Bermuda. They packed for Bermuda. They were ready for the sun and fun of Bermuda.
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Post-storm, a cloud of uncertainty hangs over Gulf Coast ports
October 16, 2005
ADD cruising to the list of industries left in continuing chaos after the season of deadly storms.
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Passenger comfort level gets a boost
August 21, 2005
SOME cruise lines aren't relying on the sea's gentle rocking motion to lull passengers to sleep anymore. They're putting in plumped-up beds, duvets and fine linens to rival those at any upscale hotel. And for the suite life, there's often a "menu" of pillows.
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Next on the horizon: the SS Gargantua
April 24, 2005
In the last few years, I've watched bigger cruise ships coming over the horizon one by one and been impressed with their size but never really thought about what it meant for the industry.
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California toughens its law on ships' waste dumping
March 20, 2005
California now has the nation's strictest pollution controls on cruise ships because of a law effective Jan. 1 that prohibits most cruise ships from discharging any waste or burn anything in their incinerators within three miles of the state's shoreline.
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10,000 meals -- and he has to make sure they're safe
February 20, 2005
Like most of us, Dave Forney is eager to check out the food when he boards a cruise ship. Unlike the rest of us, though, he heads for the galleys and scrutinizes everything — food-preparation and storage areas, pots and pans, dishwashers, refrigerators and all places where food should, or should not, be kept.
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Unhappy at sea? Know when, how to complain
January 16, 2005
Brochures make cruising look like a no-worry paradise, but as on any vacation, things can go wrong. Maybe your cabin air conditioner doesn't work, or you experience bad service in the dining room. Perhaps your three-hour snorkeling excursion ends up being half that long.
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Passengers answer the call of the wild
November 28, 2004
Being of a certain age never stops me from embarking on an exciting adventure. On a recent cruise, I put on a harness, hooked onto a pulley on a zip-line and swung from treetop to treetop across the jungle in Jamaica.
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The U.S.-flag ship business takes baby steps in Hawaii
October 24, 2004
In an ideal cruising destination such as Hawaii, why is only one large cruise ship sailing inter-island itineraries? The answer is rooted in centuries-old maritime laws.
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At sea, it's a booking -- not a berth right
September 26, 2004
It's not uncommon to find that your flight or your hotel is overbooked. But have you ever heard of a cruise with no cabin for a passenger who had booked and paid for it months in advance?
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You've missed the boat. Now what?
August 15, 2004
As the Splendour of the Seas prepared to depart on a 12-night cruise from Galveston, Texas, last fall, storms raked Houston, about 50 miles inland. Torrential rains flooded streets and tornadoes damaged buildings, disrupting air traffic at Houston's airports, the gateway for Galveston cruises. About 150 passengers were left behind when the Splendour of the Seas sailed.
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Extra onboard costs may be more than you bargained for
July 18, 2004
Bargain fares on popular cruise lines may lure you aboard, but you may get sticker shock once you see the extra costs of cruising these days.
