Category: Cruises

How Climate Change Is Changing the Mississippi’s Cruise Business

Though operators are building ships, and towns are investing in landings and other infrastructure, fluctuations in the river’s flow, exacerbated by climate change, are hampering sailings.
Off to Norway, With Three A.I. Travel Assistants

Can artificial intelligence devise a bucket-list vacation that checks all the boxes: culture, nature, hotels and transportation? Our reporter put three virtual assistants to the test.
Vantage, Our Cruise Company, Went Bankrupt. We Are Out $17,905.

A couple purchased an Arabian Sea voyage, but Vantage, the cruise company, went under. Their travel insurance was supposed to cover financial default, but the claim was repeatedly denied.
Standby Cruising: A New Option for Bargain Seekers

Are you a flexible traveler? Holland America’s standby cruises may be for you. The cost: $49 a day, excluding fees, taxes and extras. The catch: It might be a hair-raising, last-minute scramble.
In Kenya, Seeing the Sites by Dhow

The wooden boats, whose triangular sails create a distinctive silhouette, are used up and down the East African coast.
Jail Cells? Morgues? Your Cruise Ship Has Some Surprises for You.

Here are five unexpected features on ships, some of which you hopefully won’t discover on your own.
On Board Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas for its First Cruise

Our reporter joined thousands of passengers on the inaugural sailing of Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas. Yes, the water rides were wild. But the most surprising thing she found? Some actual peace and quiet.
C.D.C. Investigating Gastrointestinal Illness on Queen Victoria Luxury Cruise Ship

The Queen Victoria was on its way to Honolulu from San Francisco on a 107-night world cruise when more than 150 people on board reported symptoms, officials said.
The Frugal Traveler Columnist Answers Questions About Her Job

Lengthy layovers, lost bags and last-minute panic: Elaine Glusac has experienced it all (and then some) as the Frugal Traveler columnist.
Is Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas Cruise Ship Really Sustainable?

The newly christened Icon of the Seas is filled with energy-efficient technology. But some climate experts say the biggest challenge with a ship that can accommodate nearly 8,000 people is its size.
3-Year Cruise Passengers Seek Fraud Charges Over Cancellation

After more than a month of missed deadlines for refunds, a group of hard-hit passengers who signed up for the failed Life at Sea cruise are pursuing legal intervention.
Exploring the 3-Year Cruise That Never Set Sail

When a voyage around the world fell apart before it ever left the dock, Ceylan Yeginsu, a travel reporter, wanted to understand how it all went wrong.