VIDEO: You Can’t Book a Room on this River Cruise Ship
Take a video tour of the new cruise ship – the first of a whole new cruise line - that’s based on a premise you might find surprising. It means you can’t book a single room on this ship! Transcend Cruises launched in 2026 with a very different idea: charter-only river cruises in Europe. If you thought that chartering a river cruise...
Holland America Line Hosts 1st Pro Pickleball Invitational on a Private Island
The pickleball takeover of cruising seems complete with news that Holland America Line is set to host the first-ever Professional Pickleball Association – yes, there’s a Professional Pickleball Association! – competition on a private island. The Professional Pickleball Association Invitational takes place in March, 2027 on Holland America Line’s private island beach resort in The Bahamas, Half Moon Cay, during a...
3 Ways to Chase the Northern Lights
The Northern Lights, or aurora borealis, are Mother Nature’s own light show, one of travel's most mesmerizing natural phenomena that nothing man-made can beat. Electrically charged particles from the sun interact with Earth's atmosphere, creating shimmering curtains of green, purple, pink and occasionally red that dance across the night sky. Standing in the glow of this mystical Arctic phenomenon is on...
Royal Caribbean Group Buys 50% of Sandals Resorts- A Game Changer for the Caribbean and Global Cruising?
Caribbean cruising - and beyond! - may have changed forever. Royal Caribbean Group -which also owns Celebrity Cruises and Silversea - and Sandals Resorts International announced that the cruise company has purchased 50% of the Caribbean all-inclusive resort chain. It's a deal worth 3 billion USD, and it's sending a tidal wave through both the cruise and all-inclusive resort worlds. Here's why...
Baroque to Biohacking: the New Wellness Scene in Vienna's Luxury Hotels
Vienna has spent centuries perfecting the art of living well. Coffee and cake in chandeliered cafés. Music, art and architecture on an imperial scale. And, increasingly, some serious pampering behind the doors of the Austrian capital’s luxury hotels. But these days, “wellness” during your trip to Vienna can involve much more than a massage.The city’s luxury hotel spas still deliver plenty...
European Cruising After the Christmas Markets: River and Ocean
What cruises give you the warmest welcome in Europe’s coolest months? River and coastal ocean cruising doesn’t completely stop when the Christmas holidays start. In fact, Europe’s “quiet season” is becoming a season of its own for cruisers. It’s true that most Christmas markets pack up around Christmas Eve, although some extend through the holidays. But then come New Year’s celebrations,...
Lights Out on One of the Hottest New Travel Trends
For generations, travelers have organized their days around daylight. Get up. See the sights. Take the photos. Then, as the sun sets, the day starts wrapping up. One of travel’s fastest-growing trends turns that itinerary upside down. And the lights off. Noctourism or Astrotourism? “Noctourism” – or nocturnal tourism – is the growing appetite for travel experiences after dark. Noctourism can intersect with astrotourism,...
VIDEO From the Bridge: Meet the Captain of the Paul Gauguin in Tahiti
What’s it like to captain a ship that sails year-round in exotic French Polynesia? I got to ask the captain of the Paul Gauguin during a visit to the bridge on a week-long voyage around the Islands of Tahiti. It’s a bucket-list trip for many of us – and rightfully so. Nowhere in the world compares with the tropical romance of...
D-Day Landing Beaches Achieve Overdue Milestone; How to Make Your Own Pilgrimage
82 years after what Winston Churchill called “the most complicated and difficult” military operation in world history, Normandy’s D-Day Landing Beaches finally achieved long overdue recognition of their place in the world as we know it today – plus the protection needed to ensure their lessons live on for future generations. LEARN MORE IN THE VIDEO ABOVE: Normandy Landing Beaches Designated...
How Low Can They Go? Historic Water Levels and the Future of River Cruising in Europe
I adore river cruising. I constantly recommend river cruises to viewers and followers. But river cruising is facing an industry-changing crisis. And I think it’s time to face it head-on with new solutions that will benefit everyone. A NEW LOW Low water levels on Europe’s major rivers – including the Rhine and the Danube – are making headlines around the world. I was at...
