Cruises

It turns out island-hopping around French Polynesia on luxury cruise ship Star Breeze is as enjoyable as it sounds. I’m lying flat on my back, half-submerged. My feet dangle in the rich, blue, inviting Pacific Ocean on one side of the floating mat, my hair in the other. The sun is warm; the water is…

The Disney Wonder cruise ship experience may be designed with kids in mind, but it delivers for all ages. Admit it, you want to go to Disneyland! We all do. No matter how old you get, there’s a place inside all of us where some Disney story, or character, or song, has burrowed into our…

Looking for a family holiday where the entertainment never stops (no, really), the dining options please even the pickiest eaters, and the memories last long after you’ve disembarked? Carnival Cruise Line has long been a fantastic choice for families because of the myriad of options available to passengers, from short cruises to epic adventures, as…

With direct flights into Hawaii – at least from Australia – only taking you to Honolulu on the island of Oahu, many guests to the closest American State to our country don’t take the opportunity to explore the surrounding islands. Or at least don’t go further than Maui. In fact, it took me more than…

Disney Cruise Line – which finally arrived in Australia and New Zealand last October – have just confirmed their ship Disney Wonder is set to return for a third season on our shores in 2025/2026. Having already completed its first season, and with a second already announced for October 2024 through February 2025, the confirmation…

With clear views of the sunset over the horizon of Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, it’s hard to argue there’s any bad place to watch the sun set here. But on my recent visit to the iconic tourist destination, I may have found the best way to watch it – Holokai Catamaran Company’s nightly Sunset Sail….

Whether you’re embarking from Sydney or Brisbane, we think all Aussies can agree that very few holidays capture that quintessential tropical lifestyle like Carnival Cruise Line South Pacific expeditions. That long-awaited dream of island hopping across vast archipelagos and relaxing on an epic cruise in one itinerary is why many Aussies of all ages choose…

Families and Disney fans have a reason to celebrate today, because after two and a half decades of operation, the Disney Cruise Line is finally set to arrive in Australia and New Zealand in late 2023. The only bad news? It’s for a limited time only. In operation since 1998, the Disney Cruise Line has…

Now that U River Cruises, a dedicated millennial reimagining of the classic river cruise experience, has been firmly established amongst new-gen travellers, the company is now looking towards playful themed cruises to spice up their offering. Two themed itineraries will be rolled out later this year, both on board the company’s “The A” vessel which…

Back when I lived in Vancouver, the only real option of getting between downtown Vancouver and Vancouver Island – home to British Columbia’s capital Victoria – was by way of a large, run-of-the-mill ferry operated by BC Ferries. It’s relatively affordable – at under $20 each way – takes about 90 minutes and has food…

It would be naïve to assume that the stigma of luxury cruises being a thing for older people has gone anywhere; though it’s almost certainly on the way out. As comfort travel makes a big comeback for millennials, so too does the desire to fully immerse oneself in a travel experience as rich and ambitious…

I’m watching European countryside scenery roll by from my bed, and my phone won’t stop buzzing. Picture messages, texts, oh, and the odd GIF – they’re all coming through in the WhatsApp group I’m in. It’s called The A – the same name of the river cruise ship I’m on. Run by U by Uniworld,…

The rise of the ‘casual gourmet’ dining experience is fast becoming a staple across the Australian foodie scene. Ahead of their 2018-19 departures, P&O Cruises are taking the ‘casual gourmet’ trend on-board with the help from acclaimed chef Luke Mangan, and famed Melbourne pizza master Johnny Di Francesco. Guests at sea on the cruise line’s Pacific Explorer will be…

Australian cruisers will be amongst the first to see the newest show by Oscar®, Grammy® & Tony Award®-winning composer Stephen Schwartz. His first musical production (which showed on Emerald Princess during its six month season cruising out of Sydney last summer) Magic to Do– combined his lifelong fascination with magic with some of his most famous…

Sydney spirit heavy hitters Archie Rose Distilling Co have scored a big partnership with P&O Cruises. As of this June, the awarded distiller will climb on board and watch their spirits infuse the many flavours on offer at Pacific Explorer’s dedicated cocktail bar The Bonded Store. The forthcoming 77,000 tonne superliner (which is currently sailing…

Looks like app technology has caught up with the gentle wave of cruise ship holidays. Princess Cruises will be the first Carnival Corporation brand to feature the Ocean Medallion™, a wearable device powered by a first-of-its-kind interactive technology platform within the O·C·E·A·N, One Cruise Experience Access Network.  It will available for use from November 13, 2017, onboard…

With the gradual easing of sanctions and restrictions on Cuba from the USA (at least under Obama’s administration), U.S. Operators are, for the first time in some 55 years, able to provide their passengers service between mainland USA and Cuba. It all started back in August when JetBlue hosted the first scheduled commercial passenger flight,…

Look, despite what people like Pauline Hanson may try and show you, the historic Great Barrier Reef is in trouble, and it has been for quite a number of years. While the issue remains a hotbed of contention for politicians, conservationists like those at Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) are doing their best to help…

Back in 2014, Royal Caribbean Cruises returned their ship Voyager of the Seas to service in Australia, following a $3 million overhaul that included everything from a brand new “Surf Rider at Sea” – the FlowRider – to three new restaurants, a 3D Cinema and more. Back around that time, we told you about the…

He surfed the menu, worked with three-star Michelin champ Marco Pierre White and set the USA on fire with his TV appearances, and now, internationally-known Chef Curtis Stone introduces Australians to his local restaurant, on the Princess Cruises’ superliner Sun Princess, called SHARE.  The Melbourne-born chef opened his first restaurant, Maude in Beverly Hills 2 years ago, but the arrival of SHARE to Australian shores will make…

Let us not beat around the bush: in 2016, the only reason anyone actually travels anywhere is to Instagram the hell out of it. Of course, this is sometimes met with debilitating challenges involving poor/no (!!) Wifi connection, and ludicrously expensive data plans that can mean your casual ‘grams rack up hundreds of dollars in fees….

Been to Dark Mofo in Hobart before? If that’s a no, then just know that the annual winter solstice festival is sensory overload of oddities and experimental arts that’s unlike anything Australia has on its stacked events calendar. Each June, when the 11-day festival consumes Hobart with music, art, noise, food, light, film, and events,…

Luxury cruise line Regent Seven Seas has announced the exotic itineraries for their 2017-18 Voyage Collection. Aboard the cruise ships, guests can enjoy an all-inclusive experience of unlimited shore excursions, fine wine and spirits, unlimited WiFi, prepaid gratuities, ground transfers and luxury pre-cruise hotel stays. The four-ship fleet includes Seven Seas Explorer, Seven Seas Mariner, Seven…

Today we want you to join us for the unique experience offered by Hauraki Blue Cruises, based out of Auckland: an overnight cruise that takes you through the islands just outside of Auckland Harbour. Their cruise ship is a sizable catamaran named Ipipiri (in fact, she is the largest cruise ship permanently based in New Zealand),…

Australian owned P&O cruises have introduced its new Cellar Door aboard its cruise ships. P&O Cruises have partnered with Glandore Estate Wines, a boutique winery from the Hunter Valley in NSW, to provide guests, and woo wine lovers with, two tasting menus offering 14 Glandore Estate wines. Guests can taste wine, and test their knowledge with interactive tablets offering…

Oscar, Grammy and Tony award-winning composer Stephen Schwartz has come on board with Princess Cruises to revamp their approach to theatre, helping them in a first-of-its-kind cruise industry partnership to develop a whimsical music revue titled Magic to Do, performed exclusively across the cruise line. The partnership comes as the cruise line attempt to modernise…

It’s not hard to see why P&O Cruises as a brand has stayed at the forefront of conversations about luxury cruisers, especially when you’re actually on board one of their ships. The cruise line has always been one of the first to leap forward with the times, responding to the common criticism that cruise ships…

David Hobson is one of Australia’s most celebrated and accomplished opera singers, but he’s definitely not a rigid elitist, as is the popular stereotype for that genre of music. I had a chat to him recently about his experience with the 2015 Bravo! Cruise of the Performing Arts, which he’ll be part of again next…

Two of the most well known cruise ships in Australia, Princess Cruises’ Sea Princess and Dawn Princess have gone through some massive refurbishments recently, introducing numerous new venues and features on board in an attempt to adapt to contemporary trends and demand. Furthering their commitment to appealing to a large range of passengers, both ships…

Last Monday, in an Australian first, a mix of media, travel industry and 100 Facebook competition winners got the chance to party on board Australia’s largest cruise ship – Royal Carribean’s Voyager of the Seas – in a Facebook Party at Sea. The party marked the relaunch of the ship after a huge multi million…