When I started reading suggested packing lists for a February cruise trip through northern Norway, I nearly lost my mind and canceled. The extra layers of clothing I had expected, but the advice on what apparel to bring–everything from wool underwear to balaclavas–made my feelings of unease escalate to heart palpitations.  Exposure therapy is the psychological treatment of gradually introducing and confronting the things you fear to dissipate the anxiety and break the avoidance of the fear. The pacing is important–usually, the gradual progression of exposure to the most severe of fears ma ..read more

Multigenerational travel is a rising trend, and so are mother-daughter trips ..read more

Travelers with ambitions to visit all seven continents will be able to do so all in a single cruise itinerary in early 2026. Holland America Line is planning a 132-day cruise which will visit each of the seven continents. Slated to depart onboard MS Volendam, the itinerary includes 47 ports in 39 countries, running an impressive spread of longitude, from as far south as Antarctica, to as far north as Oslo, Norway. World cruises are hardly new, but it is exceptional for a voyage to call at every continent. The voyage is also planned to be a true circumnavigation of the globe. World cruises on m ..read more

Update 8:00 pm EST via Spokesperson for Norwegian Cruise Line:  “Upon Norwegian Dawn’s arrival to Port Louis Mauritius on Feb. 25, 2024, there were a small number of guests experiencing mild symptoms of a stomach-related illness.  Despite previous reports and speculations, there were no confirmed cases nor any evidence of cholera on board the vessel.  Although only six guests were being monitored due to mild symptoms of a stomach-related illness, the government of Mauritius required testing in an overabundance of caution, thereby delaying the ship’s original disembarkation sched ..read more

Passengers on Norwegian Cruise Lines Norwegian Star bought a cruise that would include scenic cruising off the Antarctic mainland. But when they boarded the ship at Buenos Aires, Argentina, on January 31, they found in NCL’s mobile app that the promised routing near Antarctica had been cancelled.  “While we try to maintain original itineraries as much as possible, unfortunately, at times modifications are made to optimize the itinerary or to accommodate certain circumstances,” guests were told via the app. “As such, in order to enhance the guest experience, the itinerary has been revised ..read more

Here are 11 actions that can result in a lifetime ban from cruising, from smuggling CBD gummies to balcony jumping ..read more

International travel documentation can be a confusing, contentious issue—particularly on cruises. Individual governments determine the requirements for non-citizens to cross their borders, but cruise lines can have their own, stricter requirements, and travelers should be aware of the requirements for their cruise line when booking. As a general rule, Americans embarking on a cruise should have a passport, with at least six months validity left. However, certain itineraries departing from U.S. ports don’t require that passengers even have a passport. On “closed loop” itineraries, where the shi ..read more

Holland America Line will launch new longer itineraries sailing in 2025 and 2026. Longer than standard sailings, but not quite the length of a Grand Voyage (Holland America’s moniker for world cruises), the itineraries are designed to offer new, different itineraries departing from U.S. home ports. The cruise line trialed the new itinerary length, which it called “Legendary Voyages” in 2023, and is expanding the concept to four new sailings. The concept allows travelers to explore a specific region of the globe on a longer-than-normal sailing. Holland America, like many other cruise lines, als ..read more

S everal years ago, in the wake of an upset election, I needed a little escapism from the present, and I found it in reruns of The Love Boat. That 1976 broadcast TV antique had everything I needed—vintage fashion and haircuts, anodyne comedic plots, and more guest appearances from Charo than I could ever hope for (I kid—you can never get enough Charo). Near the end of the first season, I got this strange (perhaps even sinking—yes, I went there) feeling that I had seen some of the plot devices before. Some of the situations felt like replays; some of the dialogue seemed too familiar. Granted, t ..read more

A quick and painless guide to avoiding eye contact, small talk, and a group experience with people you will never see again ..read more