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With their new terminal nowhere near ready to welcome guests, Norwegian Cruise Line is finally offering passengers an idea as to what they should expect on Norwegian Jewel’s embarkation day. As one passenger asked in a Facebook message group devoted to the first sailing, “Is this the best they can do?”
Temporary Plans Are Being Made
For months, anticipation has been building, with the Norwegian Jewel set to become the first ship to sail out of Philadelphia in nearly 15 years. But as the first sail dates drew near, it quickly became clear that things weren’t exactly going to plan.
Rendering of what the completed PhilaPort will look like… eventually.
“We are excited to bring cruising back to Philadelphia for the first time in many years,” read a statement from Norwegian Cruise line released in late March. “Given the absence of cruising in the market for quite some time, we are working closely with our partners at PhilaPort to prepare the facility to welcome guests.”
Now, we know exactly what those plans entail and they are, to say the least, unconventional.
What To Expect on Embarkation Day
In a letter sent to booked guests and travel partners, Norwegian promised that they are working to make sure the “modified check-in experience is as efficient as possible.”
So what will be different? Pretty much everything.
First, the line advises particular care be taken with luggage tags, given that the drop-off process will not be conducted in the usual manner. In fact, the process will take place at the Clarion Hotel Philadelphia Airport.
Upon arriving, guests will be directed to a parking area “reserved for our guests.” Fees, the letter says, will be paid directly to the hotel at a rate of approximately $16 per day.
As for luggage, “drop off will take place just outside the hotel entrance,” the letter explains. “After dropping your bags, you’ll proceed inside to complete parking payment and continue to check in” which will take place in the hotel’s ballroom.
‘Our Team Will Do Their Best’
One extremely important bit of information the letter provides is that “while wheelchair assistance will not be available at the Clarion Hotel, our staff will do their best to assist guests with mobility needs. Once at the port, wheelchair assistance will be provided for those who have requested assistance to embark on the ship.”
Once check in has been completed, passengers will board a shuttle and be transported to the pier.
The missive ends with a bold-typed warning: “For everyone’s safety and to ensure smooth access at PhilaPort, guests cannot make their way to the port, and there is no option to check in at the ship. Only guests arriving on the official busses from the Clarion Hotel will be allowed entry into the port area.”
It later notes that on debarkation days, guests “will be shuttled back to the Clarion Hotel” to pick up their cars and “arrange onward transportation.”
That may be easier said than done, as the letter makes clear that “ride shares and taxi services will not be available from the pier. Guests requiring these services may arrange pickup from the Clarion Hotel.”
‘I Refuse to Get Stressed Out’
As details unfurled, many found themselves unhappy with the arrangements being made. Others, however, took a more positive approach. “As long as I’m on board when that ship sets sail,” commented one Redditor, “I’m good. I mean, I’d love for my luggage to be on board, too, but I refuse to get stressed out about it!”
Thankfully, the situation, like many of life’s more annoying bumps in the proverbial road, is only temporary. “Once this construction is finished,” shared one of our travel associates, “it will actually be quite easy to get in and out of the terminal and the parking area. Right now, however, it will be a disaster.”
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If you’ve spent any time at all on Instagram lately, you’ve no doubt seen numerous posts about a secret funnel bar located on Carnival Cruise Line ships. Here’s what’s got people buzzing… and the truth about the suddenly-exposed “secret.”
How To Access Carnival’s Secret Bar
What was supposedly a well-kept secret suddenly went viral over the past few days. Seemingly out of nowhere, Carnival cruise directors and random influencers were spilling the beans about a secret bar found inside the infamous red funnels which make the line’s ships so easy to distinguish from those of other brands.
One such video features popular cruise director Kyndall Fire whispering to us via her Instagram page that she’s “here to confirm” the rumors that there is “a new speakeasy inside the funnel.” Better still, she informs watchers that there are exclusive cocktails and the bartender is none other than the brand’s long-retired mascot, Funship Freddy.
Funship Freddy (Photo courtesy of Carnival)
So how does one gain access to all this awesome? “All you need to get in,” Fire informs us, “is knock three times and know the password, which is ‘muster.’”
There’s Only One Catch…
Of course, there’s not a bit of truth to the rumor — a fact we’re as sad to report as you are disappointed to hear. But a quick glimpse at the calendar shows that these posts began appearing just a day or two before the first day of April.
And if one follows the link in Carnival’s Instagram bio, as instructed, it leads to a page reading, “Our funnel isn’t really a speakeasy, but that would be pretty cool!”
That’s right, this is the latest April Fool’s joke to be rolled out by Carnival. It’s unclear whether some of those involved accidentally posted their vids early or perhaps that was done on purpose to keep people from guessing at the truth.
Obviously, some folks weren’t fooled. After all this isn’t the first time a cruise line — let alone Carnival — has pulled our collective legs on this silliest of holidays. Who could forget last year’s “Duolingo World Cruise” which would supposedly visit 195 countries over 5 years? (You can check out that video below.)
One of the dead giveaways indicating the “funnel speakeasy” is a prank? Just like with the Duolingo prank, no specific ship is mentioned. And while we might be gullible enough to fall for the notion of Carnival rolling such a fun concept out on a new build, the idea of it being on every ship?
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Not the kind you absent-mindedly order at a diner and don’t think twice about as you sip until the cup is empty.
The kind you sit down for, learn about, and share with a stranger from Madison, Wisconsin who you never would have spoken to otherwise.
That conversation at a tea house in Singapore, on day one of a six-day segment aboard Holland America’s Volendam, was the moment I realized this trip was going to be different.
Not because of the ship. Not because of the ports. Because of the people.
I joined the Volendam on day 79 of a 133-day Grand Voyage. The ship had already crossed oceans, made stops on multiple continents, and turned strangers into something closer to a floating community by the time I stepped aboard in Singapore.
I was the newcomer. What I did not expect was how quickly that stopped mattering.
On most cruises, you see people moving about the ship with their heads down and their phones up. They’re checking messages or using the app to plan their day. They are, in a word, distracted by technology. And there is nothing wrong with that. But on this sailing, something was different.
People said hello in the hallway.
Conversations started during sailaway. Nobody was allowing their phone to serve as a wall between themselves and the next person. They were taking photos of sunsets and posting sailaway videos, sure. But when it was time to talk, they were present.
I put my phone away too. Not in my cabin, granted. Just in my pocket. But it stayed a lot longer than usual.
It turns out that is what time spent on a world cruise segment does to you, if you let it.
The People You Meet on a World Cruise Are Not Who You Expect
Take, for example, the woman from Wisconsin. While chatting, she shared that she does variations of world cruises every year, switching between ships and itineraries.
For them, this was not a bucket list cruise. This was just what they have done since retiring from banking. I found that both impressive and quietly inspiring.
During that same shore excursion at a tea house in Singapore, I also met a recently retired nurse from Florida who had boarded in Sydney. Before joining the ship, she checked bungee jumping in New Zealand off her list. But that was only the beginning, as she had a long list of items and intended to work her way around the world, checking them off as she went.
A UK couple in their 70s told me the pandemic rewired how they think about time. They were not waiting anymore. If they wanted to do something, they were doing it. A 133-day grand voyage was not an extravagance to them, but an investment in their lives. It was the decision not to put things off.
And then there was the woman I spoke to in the elevator. She worked in healthcare and had sublet her New York City apartment for four months to fund the voyage. “It’s cheaper than staying home,” she shrugged, backing that up with some pretty solid math to prove her point.
Every one of them had a different reason for being there. None of them fit the profile most people picture when they hear world cruise.
The Ship Gets Out of Your Way
The Volendam has nine decks. Ten if you count the sun deck. You can walk from one end to the other in a couple of minutes.
After years of covering mega ships that require a map and a plan just to get to dinner, that simplicity was something I did not know I needed.
The ship runs quiet during the day. Port intensive itineraries will do that. Most guests are off exploring by mid morning, which means the lounges, the library, the Crow’s Nest (my favorite!), and the Ocean Bar are essentially empty until guests begin returning in the late afternoon.
For me, that was ideal. I am a remote worker, and finding a quiet corner to plow through a few hours of work before the ship pulled into port was never a problem. I noticed I was not the only one. Microsoft Teams meetings were happening in quiet corners and lounges all around the ship.
The only thing that required self control was the food. Something was always available no matter where you went or what time it was. That is both a feature and a problem, depending on how you look at it.
By evening the ship came back to life. There was live music in the Ocean Bar, the Piano Bar was slowly morphing into a gathering place, the World Stage filling with guests to see a super talented electric violinist named Jocelyn Ng.
For a ship of 1,400 guests it covered a lot of ground entertainment wise without ever feeling like it was trying too hard.
The size also made it easy to settle into a routine. Wake up, find a quiet spot, get some work done, head ashore, come back, eat well, catch some live music, and sleep. Repeat.
By day three it felt completely natural. A day later I was at the future cruise desk, just to see what a longer segment might look like.
That is probably the best endorsement I can give a ship.
Cruising as a Gateway
Cruising has a way of opening doors you did not know you wanted to walk through. A Celestyal Cruises sailing introduced me to Doha, Qatar. I have been back twice.
Holland America’s Eurodam showed me St. John in the US Virgin Islands. I have done three land trips since. Cozumel started the same way. The list now goes on and on.
This segment added Singapore and Halong Bay to that list. I stayed an extra day in Halong Bay after the ship left because I needed to explore more.
The bay is one of those places that does not fully register until you are standing in the middle of it. (Sunrise is something that might just have the ability to change your life, if only for a few moments.)
Singapore is already on the return list. It is not that far from Manila, which I know well, so it will happen sooner rather than later.
My Last Morning Onboard
I set my alarm for sunrise as the Volendam made its way into Halong Bay. What I woke up to looked like something out of a Bob Ross painting. If you are over 40, you’ll get the reference. If not, hit up Google.
Limestone karsts (mountains) rising straight out of the water in every direction. The ship threading through them like a needle, turning to port, then to starboard, with the kind of precision that makes you appreciate the river pilot’s knowledge of the local waterway.
Both sides of the ship had views worth standing for, and I found myself bouncing back and forth like a tennis ball, trying to take in as much as I possibly could.
I was not the only one. The crew had lined up on deck nine to take it in themselves. That is when you know a place is something special. When the people who have traveled the world show up for it.
Six days on a world cruise segment will not scratch the itch. It will just give you a bigger one,… even for an introvert like myself.
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Marie Antoinette may or may not have said “Let them eat cake!” But Norwegian Cruise Line’s new policy means that if you want to do so, you’ll have to pay a whole lotta money. Why? Because the birthday package which previously included a six-inch cake has being majorly altered… or in their words, “refreshed.”
What You Now Get Instead of Birthday Cake
Guests who had already ordered the Happy Birthday package, for themselves or a loved one, got an unexpected note from the cruise line. It appears that while the package is still available for purchase, it no longer includes the celebratory cake.
Instead, the letter reads, the package has been “designed to make your special day even more memorable.” It goes on to say that the “refreshed” package is part of the cruise line’s “continued effort to elevate the way we celebrate life’s moments at sea.”
Now, the previously included cake “will be replaced with a photo keepsake so you can take home a memory that lasts long after the candles are blown out. It is a small shift designed to make your celebration feel more personal and more connected to your time onboard.”
Those booking the birthday package will now receive, according to the site, “a colorful selection of cheerful cabin decorations and a celebratory banner, plus keepsakes to capture the celebration, including a Compass Collection frame and a photo voucher redeemable toward any photo or photo package.”
How You Can Still Get a Birthday Cake
Never fear, those who believe that a party ain’t a party without a slice of cake will still be able to order up a tasty treat. It won’t, however, come cheap. According to the line’s website, a “standard half sheet” cake (whether for one’s birthday or honeymoon) comes in at $148.80. But for around $50 more, you can go whole hog and order a full-sheet. Both are available in vanilla or chocolate.
“I Want My Money Back!”
The only people truly impacted by the change are those who had previously placed an order. (Anyone looking to purchase it moving forward would know that a cake is no longer included just by reading the details when ordering.) “The whole reason I ordered this package was for the cake,” complained one Norwegian passenger in a Facebook page devoted to the line.
Others, however, agreed with the company’s thinking that a complimentary photo was a better option. “Honestly, the cake isn’t that good,” wrote one, followed by a shrugging emotion. “I had it on two different birthday trips, and most of it wound up in the garbage.”
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Norwegian Cruise Line is making changes to its “Happy Birthday” onboard package, which previously included a six-inch cake. According to a statement sent to guests, the celebratory package, which also offers cabin decorations, will now include other perks. “This package has been refreshed as part of our continued effort to elevate the way we celebrate...
Royal Caribbean International presented the Chief Dog Officer for its upcoming Icon-class ship, the Legend of the Seas. According to a social media update shared by the company’s President and CEO Michael Bayley, Skipper will continue a tradition that started with the Icon of the Seas. The 2023-built vessel was the first to introduce the...
American Airlines is expanding its long-standing partnership with Citi by introducing the bank’s branding across its Admirals Club lounge network in the United States, starting in April 2026. The rollout begins at major hubs including […]
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and UN Tourism launch a new global initiative aimed at cutting food waste across the tourism sector, targeting businesses that collectively serve more than 600 million guests each year. […]
For most of my cruising career, the routine was simple. Fly to Miami or Port Everglades, board a ship, sail the Caribbean, repeat. Maybe Alaska in the summer. It was comfortable, familiar, and the easiest way to cruise.
That changed in 2021 when my dad passed away at 65. He always talked about doing a Holland America world cruise someday. Asia, the Amazon, getting back to Sydney. His desk was cluttered with itinerary-filled brochures.
Sadly, he never got to make that dream a reality.
I am not sure I made a conscious decision to change the way I traveled after losing him. But looking back, something shifted. The Caribbean was no longer enough. I started saying yes to things I would have talked myself out of in the past.
Cruising the Norwegian Fjords. The glaciers of Alaska. A river cruise down the Mekong. A sailing out of Athens. A Middle East cruise out of Qatar. I started doing them all.
And now, here I am, joining day 79 of 133 on Holland America’s Grand Voyage aboard the ms Volendam, somewhere in Southeast Asia, doing part of the trip my dad never got to take.
The segment I joined dotted Southeast Asia and was a fraction of the overall itinerary.
I embarked in Singapore, crossed the South China Sea on a sea day, stopped at Phu My — the port for Ho Chi Minh City — had another day at sea, called on Da Nang, and wrapped in Halong Bay, where I disembarked and flew out of Hanoi. More on these later.
See the World — Or Just Part Of It
One of the biggest misconceptions about a world cruise is that you have to commit to the whole thing. You do not.
Holland America breaks the Grand Voyage into segments, and there are options around nearly every continent. On this sailing alone, I met passengers who boarded in Fort Lauderdale and were going the distance, others who joined in Sydney and would remain until the ship returned to Florida, and others doing shorter stretches between specific ports.
Everyone had their own version of the same trip, like one of those Choose Your Own Adventure books I loved as a kid.
The full 2027 Grand Voyage starts at around $29,000 per cabin, which sounds like a lot… until you start breaking it down.
But you can also pick up an 18-night segment from Sydney to Singapore for $4,600, or jump on for the final 54 nights from Cape Town back to Fort Lauderdale.
Suddenly it is a different conversation. You don’t have to be retired to take one of these segments. Whether you want to see the world or just one particular part, the cruise can be tailored to your bucket-list or interests.
In fact, flexibility is what makes this more accessible than most people assume. You pick the piece of the world you want to see, book the segment that gets you there, and let the ship do the rest. It is really that easy.
Boarding a Different Kind of Ship
The ms Volendam is the smallest ship I have ever sailed with Holland America Line. After this sailing, the only Holland America ship I have not been on is the Zaandam.
Coming off a stretch on newer vessels like Nieuw Statendam, Koningsdam, and Rotterdam, stepping onto a ship that holds just 1,400 guests felt like I could catch my breath again.
That size is not a limitation. It is the entire idea.
On a sailing like this, the ship is more than a mode of transportation. You spend the day exploring, come back, eat a good meal, maybe catch a show, get some sleep, and do it all over again.
You are not meant to stay onboard, though there is nothing saying that you can’t do exactly that. But you are meant to go out and see the world, and the Volendam is a comfortable, unpretentious home base to return to at the end of the day.
For a ship launched in 1999, she holds up well. The layout will feel familiar to anyone who has sailed Holland America’s older fleet, and the onboard options cover what you need without overcomplicating things.
You won’t find a dozen dining venues or big Broadway-style productions, but again, that isn’t why you’re here. This isn’t a one-week vacation, this is the journey of a lifetime.
It’s All About Singapore
So let’s talk about my experience doing a segment of this incredible voyage.
After embarkation in Singapore, I ordered a Grab (Southeast Asia’s answer to Uber) and headed straight to Marina Bay Sands. Photos and videos do not do it justice. The observation deck gives you the kind of view that reminds you how far from home you actually are.
I walked through the casino, which is enormous in a way that has to be seen to be understood, made a quick stop at the Apple Store, and headed back to the ship. Knowing my excursion the next day would eat up most of my time ashore, I wanted to get out while I had the chance. I’m glad I did.
Holland America was deliberate about the Asia segment of this Grand Voyage, and it showed before I even got back onboard. Asia was not just a backdrop here. It was the point. That thinking carried into the shore excursion program as well.
Make Room for Tea
One of more unique shore excursions was a tea experience developed in partnership with Art of Tea, a four-hour hands-on workshop built around Chinese tea culture. This included a guided tasting at a traditional tea house to high tea in the afternoon at the Shangri-La Singapore resort.
What made this event so special was that Art of Tea founder Steve Swartz, a master tea blender and author, was onboard for the entire Southeast Asia segment, leading classes, Q&A sessions, and joining shore excursions in both Singapore and Vietnam. That is the kind of access you do not get on a standard seven-night cruise.
If I am being frank, I had no idea what I was getting into when I signed up. I have extreme ADD, and sitting still for a tea tasting is not exactly my natural habitat. Regular readers will know that I typically catch about 10 minutes of an onboard show before getting the fidgets and bolting.
But here I was, genuinely fascinated by all things tea, and a lot of that credit goes to the woman who led the tea house portion.
She was funny, knew how to hold a room, and made it feel like a workshop rather than a lecture. Sometimes you book an excursion and then worry it’s going to feel like listening to Charlie Brown’s teacher. This was not that.
The excursion wrapped up with high tea at the Shangri-La, and the presentation alone was worth showing up for. Pastries and bites arrived on a tiered stand, the kind of spread where everything looks too good to eat before you remind yourself that you absolutely should!
I have done high tea on cruise ships before and showed up mostly for the food. This time the entire high tea event made sense. It gave me a new appreciation for tea I did not see coming. In fact, once back on the ship I found myself routinely ordering tea instead of coffee. Trust me, that was not on my Bingo card for 2026!
At $269.95 per person it is a niche offering, best suited for repeat Singapore passengers or those looking for something in depth as opposed to your typical “highlights” tour.
Either way, this was a clear example of Holland America leaning into the culture of the region rather than simply passing through it.
The Cruise Begins
After two days in Singapore harbor, the Volendam finally pushed back from the dock and headed out through the Gulf of Thailand toward the South China Sea.
With only 1,400 guests onboard, sea days felt… well, the way sea days are supposed to but rarely do. Unhurried. Relaxed. Refreshing. There were no crowds at peak dining times, and nothing felt like a competition for space. What a change from all the mega ships I’ve sailed lately.
I found myself back in one of Steve Swartz’s sessions, this time a casual tea chat that turned into a conversation about herbal health benefits. He made it clear that he does not give medical advice, but everything he mentioned checked out when I looked it up later.
It was enough to get me to the gym, which is not something I say very often.
That evening, I caught the live music in the Ocean Bar and Piano Bar, and eventually made my way to the back of the ship.
Standing at the stern watching the sun sink into the South China Sea, the wake churning below me, I was not thinking about itineraries or excursions or what was next. I was just there, in the moment.
These are the moments that keep bringing me back to cruising, and honestly, the reason my dad would have told me take the cruise in the first place.
The Marine Hotel Association (MHA) opened its 41st annual conference and trade show Sunday, March 29, in Naples, Florida, bringing together cruise line purchasing executives with food and beverage and hotel supply vendors and industry leaders for three days at the Naples Grande Beach Resort. The event kicked off Sunday evening with an opening reception...
The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection has named Tim Klauda as senior vice president, customer experience, effective March 30, 2026. Working in a newly created role, he will lead the evolution of the guest experience across the fleet, reporting to Ernesto Fara, president and CEO. According to a press release, Klauda brings more than two decades of leadership positions at the intersection of product, design and guest experience. Most recently, he served as vice president of global products at McDonald’s, working at advancing crew experience...
MSC Cruises announced today that it is cancelling its planned 2026-27 season in the Middle East onboard the MSC World Europa. According to a press release, the decision is part of a revised deployment for 2026-27 that will strengthen its presence in the Caribbean. Replacing the MSC Seaview, the MSC World Europa will make its...
Carnival Cruise Line has donated more than 1,000 towels to children learning to swim in Vanuatu, the company said in a statement. Since this island nation has the world’s fourth‑highest drowning rate, the cruise line is providing funding for swimming lessons through the guest-funded Pacific Partnerships program. “Carnival guests love visiting Vanuatu, and this towel donation is one way we can give back to...
Ambassador Cruise Line CEO Christian Verhounig has told trade partners the cruise line’s 2026 and 2027 programs are fully hedged and there are no plans to introduce fuel surcharges despite rising fuel costs. In a letter to trade partners dated March 30, Verhounig said the escalating crisis in the Middle East should end any illusion...
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Celestyal has cancelled all April 2026 sailings due to the ongoing situation in the Middle East. The cruise line said in a press release that its ships are currently positioned in the Arabian Gulf – the Celestyal Discovery in Dubai, UAE, and the Celestyal Journey in Doha, Qatar – as they wait to reposition to Athens, Greece. “Our priority remains the safety and confidence of...
All accommodations on Atlas Ocean Voyages vessels are being reclassified under a unified suite nomenclature starting April 2, 2026. The reclassification ensures consistency across all accommodations, the cruise line said in a statement. “At Atlas, this is not about changing a name, it’s about aligning our language with the experience we deliver every day,” said James A. Rodriguez, president and CEO of Atlas...
South America is emerging as a leading choice for international travellers, with new trekking experiences, limited-time offers, and shifting global travel patterns driving interest in destinations such as Patagonia and Peru. World Expeditions says demand […]
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Cunard’s iconic Queen Mary 2 arrived in Singapore after completing a six-day voyage from Hong Kong and Vietnam during her 108-night World Voyage. Renowned for her iconic transatlantic crossings between New York and Southampton, Queen Mary 2 has […]
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City officials are mulling a solution to ease traffic congestion at the world’s busiest cruise port. Miami lawmakers are considering constructing a direct rail link connecting PortMiami to Miami International Airport.
An initial proposal for a rail link was included in the Miami-Dade Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) 2050 Master Plan, published in 2024. It was one of several options to alleviate congestion in the port area.
A direct train to PortMiami is now under serious review after narrowing down most other options, according to the TPO.
The project could cost up to $800 million and would require extending the Metrorail system by about 10 miles of new track, plus a new bridge over the Miami River. Operational costs would run up to $15 million annually.
The port currently has a freight train bridge, but it could only support the MetroMover system, which moves slowly and carries about 50 passengers at a time. The direct rail link remains at an early stage of discussion.
While lawmakers are interested in exploring this long-term option, interim measures to reduce congestion around PortMiami are also on the table.
The report recommends adding shuttle bus routes from downtown transit stations to the port, developed in collaboration with cruise lines.
PortMiami handled a record 8.5 million cruise passengers in 2024, leading to serious congestion on busy days. Carnival brand ambassador John Heald has posted tips for guests on how to plan around and avoid traffic delays. Most out-of-state cruise guests arrive via rideshare or hotel shuttle.
The port’s terminals handle an average of nearly 25,000 cruisers daily, with a single-day record of over 75,000 passengers set in late 2025.
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