Royal Holiday

Lying on white sandy beaches under swaying palms… Snorkeling among colorful fish in warm, turquoise waters… Wandering the cobbled streets of a historic colonial fort… Listening to the laid-back beats of calypso and reggae…

All the idealized images of relaxing beach life and coastal culture can be found on a cruise of the eastern Caribbean, one of the world’s most-visited cruise destinations.

What makes cruising this part of the world so popular? For starters, the weather is nearly perfect year-round: rarely too hot and never too cold. Islands in the eastern Caribbean are close to the North American continent and are often included on longer cruises to other destinations, such as the exotic islands of the southern Caribbean or the coast of South America. Most of the private islands owned by the largest cruise lines are also found here.

Above all, islands in the eastern Caribbean are relatively close together. This makes them ideal for passengers who would like to experience as many ports as possible in a limited time. Five- and three-night cruises are common here, meaning that even the busiest family can usually squeeze in a fun-filled cruise at some point during the year. Read on for more about some of the most popular destinations on an eastern Caribbean itinerary.

San Juan, Puerto Rico: With a picturesque Old Town, vibrant Latin culture, and all the amenities of a cosmopolitan city, San Juan is also a popular port of embarkation.

St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands: The busiest cruise port in the world, St. Thomas boasts countless shopping opportunities, as well as relaxing beaches, shore excursions, and excellent dining.

Tortola, British Virgin Islands: Tourists flock to Tortola to enjoy the island’s picture-perfect beaches and water sports. The Baths, a spectacular landscape where stone meets water, is a stone’s throw away on the island of Virgin Gorda.

St. Martin/St. Maarten: With a distinctly European flair, the French and Dutch halves of this island offer unforgettable restaurants, cafes, and pubs, as well as excellent duty-free shopping.

The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos: Although technically not situated in the Caribbean Sea, these famous islands are often stops for passengers embarking anywhere on the American East Coast.

A star-studded lineup of female music artists will serenade a ship full of concert-loving cruisers this fall. The first-ever GRAMMY Festival at Sea, “Women Who Rock” will depart from Miami on board the Norwegian Pearl on November 4, for several days of fun and music.

The lineup includes nearly 20 top performers across a diverse range of musical styles and genres, thus appealing to guests of every taste. Slated to play are such Grammy-award winners as Heart, Emmylou Harris, Estelle, Shawn Colvin, Maimouna Youssef, Joan Osbourne, and many others.

The wonderful sounds emanating from the Pearl’s many stages aren’t the only reason music lovers are looking forward to this cruise. Fans will also have countless opportunities to interact with their favorite artists in Q&A sessions, panels, photo-ops, and other events during the festival.

During the five-day cruise through the beautiful Bahamas, the Pearl will stop in Grand Bahama and Nassau. Cruisers will spend a day in each of these top destinations to take in the local beaches, shopping, casinos, fine dining, and more. Of course, each location also offers a selection of unique shore excursions, such as swimming with dolphins, touring historic sites, snorkeling, and many other outdoor activities.

Besides listening to an abundance of live music and exploring the sunny islands, guests will also enjoy the many sophisticated amenities offered by the Norwegian Pearl. No passenger will go hungry among the ship’s 19 eateries and 13 bars, pubs, and lounges. With several spas, pools, and modern fitness facilities, the Pearl also offers several ways to stay fit, trim, and relaxed. Additionally, guests can retire to the homey comfort of the Pearl’s thoughtfully appointed staterooms in between all the music and fun.

“Women Who Rock” promises to be a rocking, rolling, fun-filled event for everyone. Cruisers lucky enough to sail with this first-ever GRAMMY Festival at Sea are sure to return home with countless treasured memories to share with friends and family.

Due to the economic recession in the United States, philanthropic giving in the country significantly declined during the last decade. This year’s Giving USA: The Annual Report on Philanthropy, produced by the Giving USA Foundation, found significant increases in the amount of donations given and received around the nation. As the level of charitable giving continues to rise towards pre-recession numbers, many people might be surprised by who is donating the most money.

Most individuals think of philanthropy as an institution headed by the nation’s giant corporations, foundations, and other vehicles. In reality, these groups account for only a small percentage of American giving. During the last few years, individual giving has comprised 73 percent of total giving.

Between 2012 and 2013, total giving rose 4.4 percent, with individual giving comprising 83 percent of total gifts made during that timeframe. Individuals increased their giving by $9.69 billion. According to the report, giving by corporations declined slightly last year, but all other forms of giving increased. The massive jump in donations was caused by a few particularly large gifts made by individuals, couples, and estates in 2013.

Virtually every sector has benefited from increased philanthropy, but the largest gains have occurred in education. Between 2012 and 2013, giving to education rose 8.9 percent for a total of $52.07 billion. Giving to human services also increased significantly. Philanthropy aimed at arts, culture, and humanities organizations also received a large portion of donations last year, probably due to a tendency among donors to make up for years of lost funding during the recession.

Individuals can review the full report, researched and written by the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, online on the Giving USA Foundation website.

In early June, cruise line Royal Caribbean International (RCI) announced its decision to relocate its ship, Serenade of the Seas, from New Orleans in April 2015. The move will leave the famous Louisiana port without an RCI presence at least through the end of the 2015-2016 winter season. No plans have yet been released to indicate the company will return in the foreseeable future.

There is speculation that RCI could move Serenade to Hong Kong, in order to serve the exploding cruise market in Asia. The company has previously announced that it will homeport its new flagship, Quantum of the Seas, in Shanghai beginning in May 2015, so RCI’s interest in Asia is well-established.

Despite the latest news, the port of New Orleans is doing very well. In recent years, it has seen a healthy increase in cruise business as passengers and cruise lines alike have come to recognize its convenient location for the southern U.S. market. To fill the gap left in RCI’s absence, the city of New Orleans has courted other cruise lines in the past year, including Royal Holiday affiliates such as Celebrity, MSC, and Princess.

About the Port of New Orleans

New Orleans serves as a homeport for ships sailing Western Caribbean itineraries that include destinations such as sunny Cozumel on the Mexican coast and popular island mainstays like Jamaica and Grand Cayman. Currently, two Carnival ships—Dream and Elation—call New Orleans home and have no plans to leave. Also serving the region is Norwegian Dawn, which operates out of the port during the winter cruise season.

Of course, with its rich music culture, Deep South history, and world-famous French Quarter, “The Big Easy” is a favorite destination in and of itself. Passengers embarking here often plan to spend a few extra days before or after their cruise in order to see the sights, enjoy the food, and “laissez les bons temps rouler!”

With more than 30 ships cruising the Caribbean this year, the region draws more cruise tourists than any other destination on the planet—and for good reason. Its crystal blue waters, vibrant beach culture, and countless shore excursions make a Caribbean cruise one of the most exciting and varied vacation options around.

Caribbean cruise itineraries are generally divided into three regions: eastern, western, and southern. Each of these destinations has its own character and special attractions. With all these options, everyone can find their own perfect cruise.

Eastern Caribbean

These cruises usually depart from Florida, with ports of call in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Bahamas, and often another island, like St. Martin or Grand Turk.

Most islands on an eastern Caribbean cruise are relatively close together, so travel time between them is short—and that means plenty of time on shore. As small islands, their activities focus on the beach and water. Visitors can enjoy plenty of diving, sunbathing, boating, snorkeling, and more.

Western Caribbean

Usually embarking from Florida, Galveston, or New Orleans, a western Caribbean cruise might include ports in Key West, Grand Cayman, Jamaica, and resort destinations in Mexico, Belize, or Central America.

Because these cruises include ports on large islands and the mainland, there are usually more varied options for shore excursions. There’s all the expected beach fun like diving and lounging, as well as eco-tours, ancient ruins, and lots of shopping opportunities. Ports of call, however, are more spread out in the western Caribbean, so cruisers should expect more time on board the ship when vacationing in this region.

Southern Caribbean

These itineraries often start in Puerto Rico and visit ports throughout the Lesser Antilles Islands in the southeastern Caribbean, including Martinique, Barbados, St. Lucia, Dominica, Guadeloupe, Aruba, and countless others. These islands are incredibly varied in culture and scenery, and offer a glimpse of some of the more exotic locales in the Caribbean.

Bonus – Alternative Caribbean Itineraries

Increasingly, cruise lines are offering more specialized itineraries. These include very short itineraries for those with limited time, and longer cruises for travelers with all the time in the world. There are also a handful of cruises focused on specific regions or niche interests, including the Central American coastline, northern South America, and the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao).

As summer gets underway, cruisers all over the country are preparing for fun, relaxing vacations on the high seas. Many of these passengers will enjoy their cruise even more when they learn that the hard-working crews and companies behind these memorable vacations give back to the communities that their ships visit.

Nearly 200 guests boarded the Carnival Breeze in Miami to join the port event, “Literacy at Sea” early last month. Hosted by the Cruise Industry Charitable Foundation (CICF), the celebration supported the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy. This organization has served to improve reading skills among children and their families for 25 years. In addition to hosting a number of authors such as Dave Barry and N.D. Wilson at the event, the CICF also presented the Barbara Bush Foundation with a donation of $25,000.

The “Literacy at Sea” event is only the latest in a long line of charitable initiatives by the CICF, the cruise industry’s primary philanthropic organization. In just the past year, the CICF has participated in a number of fundraising events, including a ceremony for members of the Coast Guard, Typhoon Haiyan relief efforts, a donation to a native Alaskan art and cultural center, and a range of other programs.

Founded in 1998, the CICF today relies on the support of nearly two dozen of the world’s most prominent cruise lines, including major Royal Holiday affiliates such as Carnival, Princess, Norwegian, MSC, and Royal Caribbean. The organization focuses on four primary areas of giving: community development, educational assistance, public health, and the environment.

In order to provide fantastic vacation experiences for their customers, cruise lines recognize the importance of the economic viability of the ports they visit, the ecological health of the oceans upon which they sail, and the opportunities of the people they employ. As corporate members of the CICF, cruise lines stay true to the ideal of helping communities throughout the world, even as their passengers enjoy unforgettable cruises.

On June 1, the 2014 Atlantic hurricane season officially blew in—with a whimper rather than a roar. In fact, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has predicted a relatively storm-free summer ahead. This is fantastic news for cruisers looking forward to ocean vacations in the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, or along the Atlantic seaboard this year.

Of course, whether meteorologists predict the summer stormy season to be a light one or an active one, vacationers should keep a few things in mind when planning a cruise this time of year.

Above all, it is important to remember that there isn’t anything to fear about cruising during hurricane season. In fact, even in active years, the odds are slim that a cruise will be affected at all. On those infrequent occasions when a hurricane does interfere with a cruise itinerary, ships go out of their way to keep their sailing as smooth and sunny as possible. To do this, they generally change course to avoid routes and ports of call in stormy regions. However, because hurricanes are hundreds of miles across, cloudy skies and some choppy seas might still affect a cruise. As long as passengers stay flexible and keep a positive outlook, they are still likely to enjoy a relaxing and unforgettable cruise.

So how does a well-informed cruiser prepare for a cruise during hurricane season?

Because rough seas are sometimes unavoidable, perhaps the best thing to pack is a favorite seasickness remedy. This helps even experienced cruisers avoid a few unnecessarily unpleasant days at sea.

A more important issue when dealing with hurricanes is scheduling. While cancellations are rare, delays are possible. When planning a cruise during this time of year, try to schedule in a couple of free days both before and after the cruise, in case of airport delays or altered cruise itineraries.

Some travel organizations recommend travel insurance to cover the possibility of cancellations or related mishaps. It is also important to understand the details of cruise and airplane tickets in the event that a passenger misses an embarkation or has another unlucky break due to poor weather. Most companies are happy to help in such an unfortunate event, but it’s good to know in advance how to deal with such a situation.

With a little forethought, a wise cruiser can relax and look forward to a carefree voyage—even when clouds gather on the horizon.

As summer approaches, countless Royal Holiday cruisers are preparing for fun-filled vacations in popular destinations like the sun-soaked Caribbean or the rugged Alaska coastline. A good number of American cruisers are aiming a bit farther abroad, and setting their sights on the Mediterranean—the home of ancient Rome, Greece, Egypt, Carthage, and many other civilizations.

Early summer is the beginning of high season for cruises around the sparkling Mediterranean Sea. Bounded by Europe, the Balkans, and North Africa, the Mediterranean has long been a hotbed of exquisite culture, delicious cuisine, and fascinating history. Cruisers in this region can expect to see famous sights in top-tier destinations like Rome, Barcelona, Athens, and Istanbul. With an almost limitless number of postcard-perfect vistas and fine-dining options, there is certainly something on each Mediterranean cruise that that will appeal to every taste in entertainment, food, and culture.

New cruisers in the Mediterranean can expect all the amenities of many of the largest cruise lines in the world, including Princess, Royal Caribbean, and Celebrity. Of course, smaller companies like Italy-based MSC Cruises also serve the region—with a splash of local culture and exceptional cuisine.

The Mediterranean Sea itself is a truly inviting place to experience a relaxed cruise. With calm waters for most of the year, cruisers have little worry of stormy weather or motion sickness. In addition, with travelers from many countries on board, these cruises tend to have a very cosmopolitan feel.

Itineraries in the Mediterranean tend to be categorized into two broad groups: the Western and Eastern Mediterranean, though there is frequently a lot of overlap between the two.

Western Mediterranean cruises typically visit famous European ports like Barcelona, Marseilles, and Civitavecchia, the port that serves Rome. These destinations offer guests fantastic ruins, museums, and high-end shopping. Many of these itineraries also take in more exotic locales like the Canary Islands, Tunisia, and Morocco.

The Eastern Mediterranean is where East meets West. Generally including Adriatic ports like Venice and Dubrovnik, these cruises often make stops in bustling Istanbul, Alexandria, or Athens, as well as sunny Greek islands like Santorini. Some ships even sail past Istanbul’s storied Golden Horn and into the Black Sea to visit ports in Turkey, Russia, Bulgaria, and Ukraine.

In early May, cruise line Royal Caribbean excited the cruise industry when it began construction on what will be the largest cruise ship in the world.

At a ceremony at the STX shipyard in France, workers laid down the keel for the cruise line’s third Oasis-class ship, officially initiating construction of Royal Caribbean’s newest vessel, which is expected to launch in summer 2016. During the festivities, Royal Caribbean’s chief executive officer, Richard Fain, also revealed that his company had entered an agreement with STX to build a fourth Oasis-class ship, to be completed in 2018.

The award-winning Oasis of the Seas, the first in this class, launched in 2009. She made a splash among industry watchers and fun-loving cruisers alike, and has since won several accolades for her many innovations, including a split-deck design with outdoor “Central Park” and “Boardwalk” areas running down the middle of the ship. Despite the ship’s huge size, designers engineered her to have the feel of a cozy community in each of her seven “neighborhoods.” She and her sister ship, Allure of the Seas, also provide cruisers with plenty of entertainment options, such as hit Broadway musicals, a handcrafted carousel, and surf simulators.

The newest Oasis-class ships are being built with the same philosophy in mind. The as-yet unnamed Oasis III will have a three-deck water slide and a more expansive adults-only Solarium. Aside from these features, Royal Caribbean representatives have said little about what new features and amenities the upcoming ships will possess. However, in the tradition of the cruise industry, the new ships will likely offer a great number of other new concepts in entertainment and dining.

The new ships will be slightly larger than their predecessors. Oasis III, for example, will be over two meters longer than her existing sister ships, and nearly six meters wider. This will give her a maximum passenger capacity of 6,360—greater than any other cruise ship currently sailing. In addition to their slightly greater size, modifications to the newest ships’ hulls and propulsion systems will make them at least 20 percent more fuel efficient than the first two Oasis-class ships.

Still in its debut year, the Carnival Live! musical program continued its string of fun shipboard concerts in mid-March with a fantastic show by award-winning country music singer and songwriter Martina McBride. Performing in Cozumel in the 855-seat Sapphire Theater on board the Carnival Ecstasy, the artist entertained eager listeners with signature hits like “Independence Day” and “For the Girls,” as well as a number of popular covers.

Martina later commented that the experience of performing in a ship theater was very different than the huge arena performances she’s accustomed to. Despite the new venue, she had no problem keeping the audience dancing at their seats.

Announced in January of this year, the Carnival Live! program is an innovative effort to connect current and classic popular musicians with cruising fans. Because the cruise ships’ theaters generally seat several hundreds of spectators, rather than the tens of thousands that most arenas do, these shows have a much more intimate feel, and provide ticket holders with the unique opportunity to experience the stars of the show up close.

This year, a total of 49 Carnival Live! events are slated for eight ships in three ports: Cozumel, Nassau, and Catalina Island. Fifteen marquee acts will perform this year, including REO Speedwagon, Jewel, Styx, Olivia Newton-John, Lady Antebellum, and LeAnn Rimes. Because the inaugural season has been such a success, Carnival Cruises organizers are already busy lining up acts for a second season in 2015.

Passengers on participating Carnival itineraries can conveniently purchase Carnival Live! tickets in advance when they book their cruise, or after boarding by visiting Guest Services. General admission prices range from $20 to $40, making these concerts an exceptional value for such a unique musical experience. VIP tickets are also available for $100 to $150. These special commemorative passes entitle the holder to stage-side seating, as well as a face-to-face meeting and photo opportunity with the performer.