Cruise Lines

Norwegian continues to impress me. I had the opportunity to celebrate the launch of Norwegian Encore with them in Miami last month and it is absolutely the best ship out there for a guys weekend getaway. That isn't to say that other lines aren't good or that you can't have fun on an older NCL ship like Sky or Sun (I do) but Encore is the ultimate manifestation of Norwegian's vision for what cruising should look, feel, and taste like. Let's take a look at six reasons why Norwegian Encore is the world's best cruise ship for a guys weekend!

Virgin Voyages is essentially the anti-cruise. Created by Richard Branson who had, at the time anyhow, never gone on a mainstream cruise vacation but was convinced he could introduce a product that would both disrupt and revolutionize the industry. This brash hubris has resulted in an incredibly fun experience that is truly unlike any other Caribbean cruise option available.

With the introduction of a new generation of cruise ships comes the opportunity to rethink conventions and try new things. Sometimes those innovations work... and other times they need some tweaking to get right. Norwegian Prima is a great example of this and it appears to be an indicator that Norwegian Cruise Line is moving in a new direction, where passenger comfort and enjoyment are just as important as bullet points on a feature list.

I love cruise vacations. For more than a decade it has been a way for me to see parts of the world, experience new cultures, try things I wouldn't do back home, and just generally have a great time. During the more than 20 cruises that I've taken, I've also started to feel that while different lines offer unique features that might make me prefer one over the other for certain experiences, the reality is they are more similar than they are different. To change this would take some radical thinking and a brand with the confidence and tradition to be truly innovative. There is no other travel brand that could do this like Virgin and that's exactly what Richard Branson has done. They are attempting to be a disrupter in what - until the pandemic - was a thriving industry that boasted a 7% annual growth rate, the most of any leisure travel market segment.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to sneak into the exclusive Haven area on a Norwegian cruise ship? This area is designed as a private retreat complete with a private pool, bar, restaurant, and lounge area. It also has some of the most luxurious cabins available anywhere on the ship. Let's take a look at what things would look like if you booked the Owners Suite in the Haven complex on Norwegian Joy!

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 Mediterranean is at the top of our list now. 

Last year we sailed with Norwegian Bliss for the launch of the company's biggest, fanciest and most feature filled ship ever. At the time, Bliss was everything we saw on Norwegian Joy but had to wait just a bit longer for. That wait represented refinement, learning, and further time for innovation. When it arived as the first Breakaway Plus ship in North America it truly lived up to it's name. Seizing on it's incredible popularity, the folks at Norwegian Cruise lines abruptly pulled Joy out of the Chinese market and instead of just re-positioning it, did a complete overhaul of the ship. So, was it worth it? Does Joy deliver on it's name the way Bliss did? Yes .. it absolutely did though there are a few awkward areas that reveal it's journey to this point.

Norwegian Cruise Line invited me on a seven-day cruise of the Hawaiian Islands and it changed my view of this state in a profound way that I didn't expect. While we had visited Hawaii a month earlier and had a great experience - I had no real understanding for the diversity of terrain, culture, and opportunities for adventure that would await us on this cruise. With more than 100 hours in port and no scheduled sea days, this was a profoundly different cruise experience - but one that anyone looking to truly experience Hawaii must try.

Are you hungry for something different when it comes to food on a cruise ship? Yeah, me too. While I love the tried and true mixture of buffet, main dining room, steakhouse, and Italian restaurant... variety is nice too. Virgin Voyages is a disruptor in the cruise industry. When you take a look at the food offerings, you will see why that is going to be very exciting for guests when Scarlet Lady starts sailing this fall from Miami.

Let's just start this post by saying that I do believe in the scientific method of review and research, trusting experts but also verifying information against those things that I know are true for my personal situation. Right now, "The Media narrative" is that cruises are dangerous, covid is spreading everywhere and cruise ships are simply disease incubators. In fact, I had a friend post just that as a Facebook comment the other day. So why then did I just spend my own money booking a seven-day cruise to Mexico?

For this trip review, we decided to try the Freedom of the Seas. It isn't the newest or largest ship in Royal's fleet but it certainly had some fun "Designed for Wow" features that others simply don't, so let's start exploring.

We were on-board for Carnival Panorama's naming ceremony and to welcome her to Long Beach. This is the first new ship to be homeported on the west coast in more than 20 years and so this is an exciting time for guys looking for an awesome ocean-going getaway without having to sacrifice by flying to Florida or sailing on an older ship. Carnival Panorama will be offering 6, 7 and 8-day cruises year-round from Long Beach to the Mexican Riviera.

Bigger is always better... right? Well not always. Sometimes simply making things better is better and that seems to be the direction that the designers at Norwegian Cruise Line and the builders at Fincantieri who have begun building the first of six new cruise ships for the line. You already know how much we loved the last few ships in the Breakaway and Breakaway Plus class because they brought "Mega Ship" features like race tracks and VR arenas to cruising. With the introduction of Norwegian Prima the direction is decidedly small, more refined, and more luxury focused. I'm sure there are tons of new features that we can't even imagine yet that they will be announcing before it begins sailing next year, but we're already pretty darn excited about what it represents.

Most of you probably remember Jewel from the mid/late 90s - yeah, that’s Alaskan folk singer-songwriter and many of you probably even still are aware of her for some of her later music but what I didn't realize until this week was how utterly amazing she is in concert. Jewel is a true artist and that means you are going to see and hear things you weren't expecting such as yodeling, opera, and requests by the audience that were so obscure (even to her) that she had to flip through a book the size of an encyclopedia to get the lyrics.

In a market that is nearly saturated but at the same time working feverishly to expand its reach, the cruise lines are in a fight to find a way to fill their ships and bring in new cruisers. While other lines are building ever bigger boats with features unheard of at sea, Carnival decided to focus on entertainment and creating once-in-a-lifetime experiences that are surprisingly affordable. Earlier this month we had the opportunity to spend a week on the brand new Carnival Breeze and experience it for ourselves.

Unlike "themed cruises" the band isn't actually on the ship during the voyage, so that means that you can still have a "normal" cruise experience but on concert night things turn up a notch. On this cruise, we started in Miami followed by stops in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, Georgetown, Grand Cayman, and then during our stop at Cozumel, Mexico the band loaded their equipment on the ship and we stayed in port till about 1 a.m.

Princess Cruises hasn't been at the top of our list of cruise lines to feature here but I think that's about to change. We tried a Princess Cruise last month from Los Angeles to explore the Mexican Riviera - Cabo, Puerto Vallarta, and Mazatlan, and we had a great time. From celebrating National Margarita Day with a margarita crawl through the ship to late night trips to the Chopsticks Noodle Bar and even some time spent placing wagers via their mobile sports book, there were some cool experiences that we haven't had on other ships before.

One of the things I love about the newest cruise ships by Norwegian Cruise Line is that they've invested heavily in what they refer to as Studio Rooms. For those looking to do a guys trip at sea, this is the perfect option since you get privacy and can save money compared to the traditional cost of booking your own room.

For all you guys who are looking for an extraordinary way to bond with your adult son, there's a great promotion going on right now with Virgin Voyages. By far, Virgin is our favorite cruise line since it provides some of the best food, best drinks, and best atmosphere at sea. It's adults only though so we were intrigued by the concept of their latest promotion, "Kids Sail Free". However, when you think about it... this makes it the perfect option for an adult father and son guys getaway! Imagine sailing the Caribbean, Australia, Mediteranean and soon (in 2026 the West Coast), without being surrounded by obnoxious little ones while also being able to embrace things like sustainability and a cruise culture that breaks the traditional barriers that may make some folks uncomfortable.

Here are our top five reasons why you should reach out to your son today - or call up your dad and plan a guys cruise today!

For the past few years I've watched Holland America ships sit in port here in San Diego but I've never actually pulled the trigger and cruised with them till last month when they invited us to sail with them. While the experience is dramatically different from warm-weather cruising in the Caribbean and Mexico, I found a lot of stuff to like about cruising on the Holland America Line Maasdam. 

Over the past year, Heather and I have caught the cruising bug. It started out simply as a cheap way to get away for a few days without the distraction of email and mobile phones, but it has now become something that we actually enjoy.

As we have progressed from "let's just cruise" to "let's have a great time" there are a few things that we have wanted to try out but had been focused only on budget. When we booked on the Dream, we got the opportunity to upgrade our rooms to the Cloud 9 Spa deck...