The TSA recently put additional security measures in place.

On Saturday, the Big Apple welcomes back Norwegian Gem, Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest Freestyle Cruising ship, as she returns for the winter cruise season, sailing seven-day Bahamas & Florida and 10-day Eastern Caribbean cruises direct from the Manhattan Cruise Terminal in the heart of New York City.

Royal Caribbean International officially named its newest cruise ship, Oasis of the Seas, on December 1, during an elaborate maritime celebration designed especially for the world’s largest and most revolutionary cruise ship.

Recommend’s editor-in-chief, Rick Shively, got a first-hand look at Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas. Here, you can read all about this mammoth ship’s innovative zipline ride—which “zips” over the Pool and Sports Zone—its multitude of dining venues and bars, and its wide array of entertaining activities, including kids’ and teens’ hangouts. But it is the ship's outstanding service that Rick touts as the best—as Rick himself says, “Royal Caribbean outdid itself in staffing this ship.” And what’s great hardware without amazing service?

If you have a traveler or two on your shopping list, cancel that trip to the mall. You don't have to search through boring racks of discount luggage to find perfect presents for your fellow globetrotters.

In celebration of the launch of its newest, largest and most family-friendly “Fun Ship” ever, Carnival Cruise Lines announces that Academy Award-winning actress Marcia Gay Harden will serve as godmother of the new Carnival Dream and will unveil the world’s largest children’s book in New York City today, along with a major, multi-year partnership with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Dance with champions! Club Med Sandpiper, Florida.  January 24 - 31, 2010.

Howl At The Moon, world's greatest rock n' roll dueling piano show, also joins Norwegian Epic's impressive roster of world-class entertainment.

Arrives at Port Everglades, Ft Lauderdale, FL on November 11, 2009

When Royal Caribbean International’s Oasis of the Seas debuts in December 2009, the world’s largest and most revolutionary ship will offer the most diverse lineup of dining options and guest activities available industry wide.

Years ago, parents cruising with small children had to contend with cabin layouts rarely fit for a crib, pools and play areas that were off limits to the un-potty-trained, and activities tailored to children older than three.

Royal Caribbean International is reminding vacationers that they can enjoy the benefits of booking early and the peace of mind of receiving the best advertised prices with the line’s Best Price Guarantee program.

For 2010, Princess Cruises has added a 12-night cruise-tour designed for families including features that are not usually part of the package. Participants will have the opportunity to travel on a jetboat, pan for gold, take an interactive tour of Denali National Park and experience what Alaska is like in the winter.

Princess Cruises National Survey Reveals Overwhelming Majority of Americans

Do Not Have Balance in Their Lives, But Are Hopeful to Achieve Balance in Next Five Years

Americans Want More Vacation Time, but Not for President Obama

Chances are good you probably have a close relative, friend of neighbor who served in our Armed Forces. 

Not only will Oasis of the Seas provide the broadest selection of boutiques and shops industry wide, but several international brands also will be making their debut. Perhaps the most eagerly awaited store onboard will be Coach. 

Royal Caribbean International has added an alpine coaster called Dragon’s Tail Coaster to Labadee, its private beach in Haiti. President and CEO Adam Goldstein announced the addition on his blog. He said similar attractions exist at some ski resorts but not at cruise lines’ private destinations. On Labadee, guests rise up from the beach on Santa Maria’s lookout mountain. “Once you reach 680 feet, you’ll have just enough time to catch your breath and marvel at the view before turning and whooshing down at 30 mph. As you race through 360-degree turns as well as d...

Starting on May 18, 2010, Carnival will introduce the first year-round cruise schedule from Charleston, S.C., with the deployment of the 2,056-passenger Carnival Fantasy.  Carnival Fantasy will operate from the Passenger Terminal in historic downtown Charleston. Carnival Fantasy will operate five-, six- and seven-day voyages on a variety of different departure days.  Five-day voyages departing Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays will call at Nassau and Freeport, The Bahamas. Six-day voyages departing Saturdays will visit Freeport, Nassau and Key West, Fla.  Seven-day voyages de...

  The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has issued a set of new guidelines limiting the amount of time that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers can retain computers and downloaded data seized at U.S. points of entry, and notifying agents with whom they can share that information. Under the new directives, searches of laptop computers, mobile phones, MP3s, Blackberrys, flash drives and other electronic devices can still be searched regardless of whether a traveler comes under the suspicion of border agents. But a device may only be held if there is probable cause to believ...

Disney Cruise Line will visit Alaska for the first time in 2011, operating seven-day cruises out of Vancouver on the Disney Wonder.

"The idea of a spectacular laser show set to high-energy music from the deck of a cruise ship is truly unique and will provide Carnival Dream guests with a memorable, one-of-a-kind entertainment experience that they can’t find anywhere else,”

As ships get larger and larger the added space allows for more venues to entertain the diverse passengers being accommodated.  Carnival, long known for its big scale revues and comedy acts is taking it up a notch on the new Carnival Dream.

Island Princess Inaugurates New Canada Place Facility to Reduce Air Emissions

SANDALS RESORTS INTERNATIONAL PURCHASES FOUR SEASONS

IN GREAT EXUMA, BAHAMAS

It’s funny. Networking has always been a social activity: happy hours, cocktail parties and business networking events. But those were in-person, up-close and dressed-to-impress types of events. These days we’re online. A lot. And being online is more

Dining options on Carnival Dream, debuting in September, range from a two-level casual eatery featuring a new Italian pasta station and a burrito bar to Ocean Plaza, an indoor/outdoor café and live music venue.

Always wondered what it's like behind-the-scenes on a cruise ship? For $95, industry giant Carnival now will show you.

From bird’s-eye views of Central Park to a dizzying look down on the AquaTheater’s diving platform, astonishing images of Oasis of the Seas are posted on the blog. The AquaTheater pool sports more equipment than the space shuttle, Fain quips. And the

. There over 15 major cruise lines participating in this sale and more offers than we’ve ever seen. Ship board spending credits range from $50 to $400.

So, why the buzz from Holland America about “lanai staterooms” being introduced on the Veendam?

If you stand along the banks of the Ems river in Germany near the Papenburg shipyard you are bound to see an amazing sight. A giant cruise ship going down the river - backwards! Is this a prelude to a parallel parking test for the Captain’s driver�

No offense to our friends at Coke headquarters in Atlanta, but Pepsi loyalists have won another round in the battle of the brands. Norwegian Cruise Lines recently announced that it was changing out its long standing exclusive use of Coca Cola products on

Celebrity Equinox saw daylight for the first time Saturday, June 6, during her official "docking out" from Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany. The 1,425-guest ship is the second in Celebrity's widely heralded Solstice Class fleet.

FREE GRATUITIES AND REDUCED DEPOSITS! You can reserve your dream cruise for a fraction of the normal cost! This super secret special is available on every Royal Caribbean sailing from July 1 to December 31, 2009 ONLY from Cruise Planners.

Important in business, real estate and even on cruise ships. How can you make sure that you pick the best location in your chosen stateroom category?

RCL adds Costa Maya to Oasis of the Seas itineraries, postpones Falmouth The Oasis of the Seas will call at Costa Maya, Mexico, instead of Falmouth, Jamaica, when the world’s largest cruise ship launches its Western Caribbean itinerary in May 2010.

Poker seems to be the answer. More and more cruise lines are adding Texas Hold ‘em poker to their casinos. Unlike other games on board, poker players compete against each other and the house takes a percentage of the pot also known as the “rake”.

Royal Caribbean doesn’t want to be left out of the latest reality dance show craze. First there was “Dancing with the Stars” and then “So You Think You Can Dance?” on TV.

“YTB falsely promised customers they could get rich quick by selling travel online,”

One great myth is that the cruise lines who sell directly to the public (mostly the mass market lines) have special, direct rates different from cruise agent. Wrong, my fellow cruisers! In fact, an independent cruise agent can often find you rates lower

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced today that beginning May 15 the Secure Flight passenger vetting program will begin asking passengers to enter their full name – as it appears on the government issued identification they will be

"We are thrilled to bring to our guests a ground-breaking entertainment feature such as Hairspray on Oasis of the Seas," said Peter Compton, vice president, Entertainment, Royal Caribbean International.

Yesterday, Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises announced that we are temporarily suspending our port calls in Mexico. The decision was made in an abundance of caution, and allows additional time to better understand the full impact of the

"There was a lot of yelling at the ship's officials," Hanna wrote in an e-mail from the oceanliner. "Most passengers still wanted to go to Cozumel, and there were a lot that wanted to go back to the home port early"

“Should I trust the reviews I read on sites like Cruise Critic?”

If cruise ships offer itineraries that cCruise Critic members all at Cuba's Havana, will be aboard?

The cruise line has just announced that they are placing on-board technical concierges to assist guests with all types of personal electronics from iPods and iPhones to Blackberrys and plain old laptops.

There’s all sorts of hoopla about the gigantic cruise ships that are being introduced over the next 18 months or so, but what about their smaller cousins in the deluxe and luxury sectors? It seems that growth spurts are not confined to the mega liners.

Norwegian Epic’s construction, underway at STX Europe in St. Nazaire, France, celebrated a milestone in the early morning hours last Wednesday, April 9, when the ship’s bow was lowered into place.

Royal Caribbean International has announced the inaugural season of Allure of the Seas, 42 sailings to the Eastern and Western Caribbean on seven-night voyages every Sunday beginning December 12, 2010. Allure of the Seas, and sister-ship Oasis of the Seas

Ask anyone who has been around the cruise business for several years about the low prices being promoted right now. They will all probably agree that we are seeing some of the lowest prices ever for some destinations that previously commanded premium pri

Don’t look now but Fort Lauderdale’s cruise port is more than tripling the size of one of its cruise terminals in time for the arrival of Royal Caribbean International’s 5,400-passenger Oasis-class of ships, the largest cruise ships in the world.

From the cruiser’s perspective the internet has become a great research tool. You can view cruise schedules, ships, deck plans, and more on the various web sites.

Add Seattle to the list of industry giant Carnival's home ports...

Norwegian Epic to Feature Largest Ship-Within-A-Ship Suite Complex at Sea, Innovative New Studios

All cabins are created the same, right? Not so fast, world traveler.Experienced cruisers have learned a few secrets about determining the best stateroom choices...

Cruise lines are now savvy enough to plan nighttime activities for the children so their parents can enjoy the facilities of the ship in a relaxed style simply unavailable at most land-based resorts...

This year will be exciting wih the introduction of 9 new cruise ships...

Mickey and Minnie to Get New Ship Cousins

Does the crew sleep on board?

What's new in Germany and Austria?