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HAL Nieuw Amsterdam Live Blog Day 5 - Amber Cove (Puerto Plata), Dominican Republic

Amber Cove is just outside of the city of Puero Plata in the Dominican Republic. The lush mountains of the Island of Hispaniola overlook a beautiful resort, our third destination on this seven-night cruise. We took a cab to the city to get a spectacular (and scary) view, checked out what the resort had to offer, and enjoyed the ship once more… read more

HAL Nieuw Amsterdam Live Blog Day 4 - Grand Turk

Today we visited the island of Grand Turk, the capital island of The Turks & Caicos Islands – a self-governing nation with close ties to the US and UK.  The ship docs at a purpose-built cruise center, which is not the manufactured experience we usually advocate, but several surprises were in store for us on this trip, including a great tour and an island of resilient folks... read more

HAL Nieuw Amsterdam Live Blog Day 3 - Sea Day

Today we woke up to the kind of sea day everyone wants while sailing the Caribbean, though everybody else started their great day a few hours earlier.  After being up a bit late last night, a time-zone change, and a lack of morning-obligations we found ourselves up and moving around 11am.  Despite this, we feel like we really got to enjoy the ship during the day, including a stroll, beer-tasting, a cooking class, and a beautiful start to our evening out on deck. read more

HAL Niuew Amsterdam Live Blog - Embarkation Day

Embarkation day is one of the most exciting days of any cruise - you're vacation is just starting and you've got so much ahead of you!  At the same time, even when it all goes smoothly, there are logistics (unpacking for example), muster drill, and other things that make the day pass by quickly.  Despite this, we had an enjoyable day, so we'll quickly recap our embarkation process, initial observations, and our first evening on Holland America Line's m/s Nieuw Amsterdam...

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Holland America Line ms Nieuw Amsterdam Caribbean Cruise - Live-ish Blog Preamble

Saturday November 18th we'll be setting sail once again, this time on Holland America Line's ms Nieuw Amsterdam for seven nights.  We're always excited to cruise, but this is particularly exciting as it will be our first time personally experiencing Holland America.  In fact, while our last live blog was so exciting because of the itinerary (Cuba), this cruise is all about the ship (well, mostly).  The plan is to update the blog as often as we can, but internet connectivity isn't the strong-suit of this sailing, so check out the highlights below, and look forward to live-ish updates... read more

Cruise Line Beverage Packages: Should you get a drink package?

Whether sipping a fruity drink by the pool or enjoying a pint at a pub, alcoholic beverages are ubiquitous with cruising.  The cost of those drinks can certainly add up, but in the past 10-15 years, some cruise lines have started serving up unlimited drink packages and other options which allow you to better manage your bar tabs and even coffee expenses.  The cost, benefits, and restrictions can vary by cruise line, so let’s explore the overall concept of beverages packages, and some of the things unique to the offerings on each cruise line... read more

Royal Caribbean Announces New Tech for Better Experiences Across All Their Lines at "Sea Beyond" Event

Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines' Sea Beyond Event in NYC - signRoyal Caribbean Cruises Ltd (parent company to Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Azamara Club Cruises) made some big announcements this week around the technology in and on their ships. The “Sea Beyond” event was hosted this Wednesday in NYC, and RoyalCaribbeanBlog.com was there to get the scoop.  Nobody covers Royal Caribbean like they do, so you should first get the whole story by checking out their coverage of Sea Beyond.  These announcements however really had us thinking (we love cruising and technology) so we couldn’t let it go without jumping in and providing our take… read more

Carnival Signs Agreement with Shell to Supply LNG for next Generation Ships - LNG Bunker Barges and More

carnival ship lng shell logoContinuing to build momentum in a quickly changing world of alternative-fueled ships, Carnival Cruise Line has signed another in a series of agreements today with Shell to be their supplier of liquefied natural gas (LNG) for North America's first fully LNG powered cruise ships. The ships will be largest for the cruise line, at 180,000 gross tons, and due to sail in 2020 and 2022.  They'll be fueled through Shell's LNG Bunker Barge (LBB).  The LBB was recently announced as part of a plan to develop a global LNG bunkering network (bunkering is a nautical term referring to fueling-up ships) to support the growing number of LNG-powered ships being constructed, allowing them to refuel along the south-eastern US coast... read more

Virgin Voyages Reveals Additional Details: No passengers and no children.

 

The Mermaid Adorning Virgin Voyages 1st Ship

The Fincantieri's Sestri Ponente ship yard in Genoa, Italy today hosted Virgin Voyages Founder Sir Richard Branson and CEO Tom McAlpin accompanied by the singing of Boy George.  The event served as both the keel-laying ceremony for Virgin Voyages' first 110,000 gross ton ship and a party to announce additional details around the highly-anticipated cruise line. 

*Updated With Video*  read more