Cruise Holidays - Attheta Travel

If you love to cruise, the world is yours: 70% of the earth is covered by water, much of it navigable by cruise ship. But if you’re interested in a cruise that visits only U.S. ports, you may be surprised by how few U.S.-only itineraries are available. The reason? The Passenger Vessel Services Act (PVSA) of 1886.     The PVSA, created to help promote U.S. shipping interests, prevents foreign-flagged ships from carrying passengers from one U.S. port to another, unless they also stop at a foreign port. Today, most cruise ships are built and flagged in countries other than the U.S., which means the PVSA applies to most cruises that depart from and return to a U.S. port.     You may hear or read that the Jones Act is the reason cruises that depart from and return to U.S. ports must call on a foreign port, but t...

Today, packing for a cruise means packing lightly – less luggage makes it easier to travel to and from the ship, and most staterooms have limited storage room for clothes. But in the early days of pleasure cruising – the early 1900s – passengers arrived at the docks with steamer trunks full of finery.     Back then, many people used ship travel to emigrate from one continent to another, but pleasure cruising was something only the wealthy could afford. It was an opportunity to see more of the world, but also to show off fashionable clothing and jewelry. During the day, women wore dresses of silk, satin or damask with long, flowing skirts and tailored jackets. Men wore three-piece suits and neckties. Every evening was black tie: women dined and danced in embellished ball gowns and precious ge...

Cruise lines are always thinking about ways to enhance their ships to ensure that passengers have a great vacation experience; sometimes, they do that by stretching a ship.   Many cruise ships are built in blocks, with everything carefully positioned so the blocks can be seamlessly connected when the ship is assembled. This type of construction helps make it possible to separate existing blocks in order to insert additional ones. So, stretching a ship involves literally cutting it in half, gently pulling the sections apart, then inserting a new section before putting everything back together.      It’s not easy – ship stretching is a major feat of planning, design and engineering. But it’s not rare; MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, Silversea and Windstar are among the cruise operators that have stretched one or mo...

It’s been more than a year since most cruise ships have been able to sail from or to U.S. ports during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some cruise lines, with new cleaning equipment and safety measures in place, have already restarted operations in Europe and Asia, but U.S. cruise ship docks remain quiet.     Some cruise lines are announcing that they will soon cruise from ports just outside the U.S., in the Bahamas or the Caribbean. But with the increasingly steady rollout of vaccines across the U.S., cruise fans are getting excited about the thought of being able to cruise from U.S. ports again.     The question remains: will you need to be vaccinated against COVID-19 before you can board a cruise ship?     The answer isn’t fully clear yet, but several pop...

Cruising is a carefree vacation choice; just board your ship, unpack in your comfortable stateroom, and enjoy the wonderful onboard entertainment, dining and learning options while the captain and crew take you from one port to another. To make your time at sea even more stress-free, schedule a pampering treatment in your ship’s spa. Most of today’s cruise ships have spa facilities that rival the best spas you can visit on land. And for some cruise fans, the style and menu of the onboard spa has a lot to do with their choice of cruise line and ship. Here’s a quick look at some of the spas at sea. Canyon Ranch – a top name in spa resorts on land – takes an integrative approach to well-being in body, mind, and spirit in the spas it operates on cruise ships from multiple cruise lines. On Cunard Line’s Queen Mary 2 , the Canyon Ranch spa + fitness facility features an array of treatments to pamper and rejuvenate the body, skin, and feet. One highlight is the Aqua Therapy Center, which ...

If you would love a chance to cruise on a spectacular luxury yacht, but don’t happen to know someone who owns one, take heart. Two providers of “superyacht” cruises – Atlas Ocean Voyages and The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection – are preparing to launch this year. Both are expected to provide new options for those who enjoy ultraluxury, all-inclusive cruises. Ritz-Carlton, the operator of luxury hotels and resorts, is planning to bring its high standards for style and individualized service to the sea through the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection. The line’s first superyacht, the Evrima , will have 149 sumptuous suites with all-glass exterior walls. Each suite will have its own terrace as well. The plans for the Evrima include a full-service spa and several dining venues. Passengers will be able to call on a personal concierge for help with anything from dinner and spa reservations to arranging immersive experiences onshore. And the ship’s sleek design will allow port calls that may not ...

More than 100 years ago, the White Star Line introduced the Olympic, the largest passenger ship in the world at the time. The Olympic, almost 883 feet long, had nine decks and could carry 2,435 passengers. In contrast, the largest cruise ship afloat today – Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas – measures 1,188 feet long, has 18 decks, and can carry up to 6,680 passengers. As cruise ships have become larger, much of the additional square footage has been devoted to interior spaces, including larger staterooms, restaurants and theaters. But some provide guests with amazing open-air, on-deck attractions, like these: Since it first debuted in 2004, Movies Under the Stars has become a signature feature on the Princess Cruises fleet. Spacious pool decks include giant screens that show movies in the evening. Passengers can watch from poolside loungers equipped with extra cushions, while the crew serves popcorn, movie-themed cocktails and other beverages. While it was originally an evening-o...