Few places on earth can lay claim to being the birthplace of some of the most influential music on the globe, but the Mississippi, Columbia and Ohio rivers takes all of the bragging rights when it comes to being the home of some of the most iconic music in history. From Tennessee southern gospel and soul to Kentucky bluegrass, the American Cruise Line Music Cities Cruise is a taste of everything legendary.

Planning a trip can turn into a full-time job when it comes to getting all the boxes checked. Picking a destination is only the first step, then comes the real work of planning everything from transportation and accommodations to dining and excursions. For anyone that thinks picking the location and packing a bag is enough work to put into vacation planning, an all in one cruise experience is the perfect way to get all the best elements of the trip from accommodations to dining arranged for you. Now all that is left to do is decide which spectacular cruise to pick for your first voyage!

The cruise industry is in the process of a massive transition from one known more for conspicuous consumption regardless of impact into one that is ultimately working to be much more socially responsible. Don't worry though, that doesn't mean it's going to be any less fun but there are some big changes ahead that we're already starting to see.

Norwegian Cruise Line gave us a sample of their new Meet the Winemaker cruise series earlier this year while we sailed on Norwegian Joy. It was a fabulous experience and now they are getting ready to roll it out with a wider schedule, across multiple ships this fall. If you love wine and cruising then these cruises are made for you.

I've traveled to a bunch of different destinations by cruise ship, but South America and Antarctica are at the top of my bucket list. Apparently, I'm not alone since tourism options continue to evolve and now Princess Cruises is offering Antarctica as a new cruise destination in their 2020-2021 program. This will allow guests to discover this region of the world with unique cruising opportunities. New for 2020-2021, guests will be offered the opportunity to see the Total Solar Eclipse off the coast of Argentina on Dec. 14, 2020 during the 15-day Cape Horn & Strait of Magellan itinerary on Coral Princess.

Opting for a cruise on the Mediterranean Sea this summer is a sure-fire way of making sure that you will have the perfect vacation experience. We've sailed often in the Caribbean and even explored Alaska and the maritime provinces of Canada but the Mediteranean is at the top of our list now. 

I tend to be a major advocate for a cruise lifestyle. Simply put, I LOVE the experience of being on a boat, but I know a lot of guys who aren't convinced that a cruise is for them and not every line or itinerary is. However, last fall I had the chance to explore the Rhine thanks to Viking Cruises and I still can't believe how many opportunities there are for guys to have an amazing time on this route!

The awesome folks at Celebrity wrote us to share some great news with you about a cruise onboard Celebrity Xpedition, Celebrity's mega-yacht sailing the Galapagos Islands year-round. Recently, our guests onboard Celebrity Xpedition were part of the major Ecuadorian national effort to break a world record along with tens-of-thousands.