Cruise Experiences
114 articles
Costa Cruises: Costa Diadema is back at sea
Cruise number 61 Costa Cruises – Costa Diadema 10th June to 17th June 2023 Cabin number: 11008 – Forward ship , Deck -11 : Samsara Grand Suite Total pax : 3810 , Crew : 1230 : Decks : 20 Cruise for 7 nights. Ports of Call : Marseille , Savona , Civitavecchia (Rome) , At […]
Emerald Sun: Enchantment on the Eastern Danube
While most Danube Cruises start or end in Budapest, Emerald goes all the way to Bucharest. This remarkable 9-day itinerary was flawlessly executed by Emerald Cruises and the crew of Emerald Sun. From beginning to end, it was an extraordinary experience. Exploring countries that recently gained independence from Soviet dominance and witnessing the battle scars […]
Costa Favolosa: The Club Cruise 2023 in Norway
The first Club Cruise 2023, Costa Cruises‘ event cruise to discover Norway and the Lofoten Islands, onboard Costa Favolosa, ended a few days ago. A 15-day itinerary that enchanted guests with breathtaking views and stunning unspoiled nature, not to mention special activities and entertainment onboard. Let’s see in detail what happened in the Cruising Journal […]
Hondius: Dutch expedition ship with a familiar touch
Oceanwide Expeditions is established firmly in the expedition cruise market since 1983. Operating a four-ship fleet, their flagship Hondius showcased what expedition cruising is about on a two-day trip across the North Sea from Vlissingen to Aberdeen in June this year. Vlissingen is not the most likely port to embark in for a cruise. Its […]
Frequent Voyager gets Virginized
I started following Virgin Voyages since its inception, and I appreciate how Virgin manages to differentiate itself. An instant appeal was that VV was not going to try and be all things to all people, as so many lines try to. Instead Virgin would focus on the adult market. Being a married adult with no […]
Kontiki Expeditions: “M/Y Kontiki Wayra”
What lay in store on an Expedition in Ecuador, a country I had never visited? And come to think of it, a country I knew very little about. Ecuador doesn’t have the high profile of its next-door neighbors, Peru and Colombia. It’s nowhere near the size of Argentina or Brazil. And its Pacific Coast is […]
CroisiEurope: Around Corsica Cruise
You learn many things in the middle of the Mediterranean on CroisiEurope’s seven-day Grand Corsica Tour cruise. Not least, to show respect to Filipino pina coladas and sangrias made by a barman from Manila called Joel. You develop your “sea legs” long before your “cocktail legs”. Circumnavigating Corsica is an education. You also learn that […]
The New Improved Costa Pacifica
Aboard the improved Costa Pacifica, a Costa Cruises ship, on a 14-night itinerary from 19th Feb to 5th March 2023. Cruise number 60 – Cabin number: 7318 – Mid ship, Deck -7: Suite Total pax: 3805, Crew: 800, Decks: 12 Ports of Call : La Romana / at sea / Montego Bay / Ocho Rios […]
HAL: Colonial Charm and Coastal Charisma
Ablaze in autumn color and alive with tales of the past, the New England Atlantic coastal region is steeped in history. A cruise on Holland America’s Nieuw Amsterdam makes the journey even more exciting. The cruise begins in Boston and stops in Bar Harbor, Maine. In Canada, the stops are Halifax, Sydney, Prince Edward Island […]
Jamaica: Explore the Incredible Ocho Rios
Located in northern Jamaica, Ocho Rios has become a tourist destination that includes a cruise port, bustling beaches, many hotels, but most importantly, a destination that offers unique explorations. Here our ship, the Msc Seaside, arrives at 9:00 am and departs at 5:00 pm. Plenty of time to explore, but we decided to take the […]
Disney Dream: a “dream” for all ages
“A dream come true” is the headline on the Disney Cruise Line website in the section dedicated to their ships. I must say that this is not a misleading advertisement: sailing on Mickey’s ships is always an emotional experience, immersing young and old alike in a special atmosphere of fantasy on the one hand, and […]
HAL’s Rotterdam pays a sentimental visit to NYC
There has always been a Rotterdam sailing for what is now Holland America Line. The first ship to bear the name made her maiden voyage to New York City in 1872. The passage took 15-days and included stops in Dover and Plymouth, England. On her first voyage, Rotterdam I carried 70 passengers—10 in Cabin Class […]
Msc Orchestra: Round Britain italian style (Pt2)
We have come to the end of the story of this experience on board Msc Orchestra, if you missed the first part of the story you can read it here (Part 1). Dublin The picture that presents itself the next morning is not unlike that in Belfast. The sky is overcast, green hills mark the […]
Msc Orchestra: Round Britain italian style (Pt1)
Here we are in the first part of the story of an experience on Msc Orchestra, with fun on board and fantastic cities to discover. Happy reading! You don’t take a cruise around the British Isles for the weather. Instead, what you’ll get is an abundance of green landscapes, deep insights into British and Irish culture […]
Carnival Celebration: much more than a fun ship (Part3)
Here we are at the end of the story of my fantastic experience with Carnival on board Carnival Celebration, you can read the part 1 and part 2 here, otherwise enjoy! A second stop in Mexico Welcome to Costa Maya! Today, we are the first ship to arrive at the dock. And once again we […]
Carnival Celebration: much more than a fun ship (Part2)
Welcome back on board Carnival Celebration, where were we? You can read the Part 1 here or continue reading! Enjoy! The Ultimate Playground: fun for young and old alike Beep, beep, beep. At 6:30 a.m. the cell phone alarm throws me out of bed. I want to greet the sun on deck and calmly examine […]
Aida Diva: A baltic cruise onboard a truly german ship
When it comes to naming a typical German cruise operator, most people refer to Aida Cruises. With 12 ships carrying between 1,200 and 5,400 passengers each, the Rostock-based company, part of the American Carnival Corporation, indeed boasts a large and diverse fleet. But what is it like to cruise with Aida? Cruising Journal embarked on […]
Carnival Celebration: much more than a fun ship (Part1)
Even before we flew to Miami, we were very excited to see what the new ship in Carnival‘s fleet has to offer. Of course, one of the biggest curiosities was to find out how Carnival Celebration is a “fun ship”. After all, the shipping company’s motto is “chooseFUN”. Carnival Celebration is one of the 15 […]
Costa Smeralda: a stage on the sea of Sanremo
During the days of the Sanremo Festival, the Costa Smeralda offered its guests a unique experience: watching the show live on the elegant floating stage board set up for the occasion. Four great Italian music artists performed on board and there was no shortage of special guests and surprises for everyone present. The protagonist and […]
Star Clipper: a 4-masted Schooner as a cruise ship
To tell the truth, I hardly knew what to expect when I was invited to sail the coast of Costa Rica, that magical Central American country north of Panama and south of Nicaragua. The ship I would board in Puntarenas, the country’s major Pacific coastal port, was Star Clipper. It is one of three Sailing […]
On board Seabourn Venture between Chile and Peru
On board Seabourn Venture between Peru and Chile, to discover an unusual and exclusive itinerary but also to learn more about Seabourn Cruise Line‘s new Expedition class. Seabourn Venture represents a new generation of ships for the luxury brand Seabourn Cruise Line. The U.S.-based company has already been offering expedition itineraries for years, with cruises […]
Silver Endeavour: Inaugural Antarctica Cruise
Aboard the new Silver Endeavour, Silversea Cruises‘ expedition ship, on its inaugural cruise to Antarctica. All the benefits of the new Antarctica Bridge formula and the uniqueness of ultra-luxury services. For every cruise passenger, but also for every traveler in general, Antarctica represents the dream destination, the most beautiful but at the same time the […]
Exploring the Mediterranean sea with Costa Cruises!
During the Club Cruise held on Costa Diadema we visited really important destinations, rich in history and culture, which we decided to explore with Costa Cruises excursions! Let’s discover them together! Our first excursion was to Heraklion (Crete) in Greece, which we were already familiar with, so we decided to opt for an excursion that […]
Costa Diadema: the 2022 Club Cruise
The second Costa Club Cruise of 2022, which took place on board Costa Diadema with an exclusive 15-day itinerary to the Holy Land and Egypt, has just concluded. Let’s find out what happened during this amazing cruise-event with Cruising Journal‘s story! After quick boarding procedures, here we are on board Costa Diadema with lots of […]