News & Features
News Stories by Doug Stallings
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Disney Cruise Line Updates Disney Magic Ship
Disney's first cruise ship, the Disney Magic, is about to enter dry-dock to undergo a major, modern renovation that will result in fantastic new features for both kids and adults.
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Cruise Preview: Royal Caribbean's New Quantum of the Seas
Royal Caribbean unveiled the designs, plans, and amenities of their newest ship, Quantum of the Seas, yesterday in New York alongside the ship's godmother Kristin Chenoweth.
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Just Back From: Food & Wine All Stars Weekend in Vegas
What did I learn in Vegas? Kobe beef (the real kind) is back, chef Masa is amazing, Ghost Horse cabernet is eye-poppingly expensive and delicious, and I've still got lots to eat, see, and do when I go back.
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On the Radar: Australia's North Queensland
Many travelers head up to Australia's Great Barrier Reef, but the region north of Cairns offers a chance to experience tropical rain forests and Aboriginal culture. Take the cable ferry across the Daintree River, and you'll see a spectacular part of the country that most casual visitors miss.
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Cuba Travel News: Fly Off to Havana (Now Legally)
Americans can once again travel to Cuba legally on a cultural tour—and without applying to the U.S. Department of the Treasury for a special license to travel.
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Japan Travel Update: What You Need to Know
March's earthquake and resulting tsunami caused massive destruction along the coast of north-eastern Honshu but had a relatively modest impact on the rest of the country. Thanks to our team of Japan updaters, here's a summary of the affected areas and what you need to know about the ongoing rebuilding and repair.
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All-Inclusive Luxury Cruise News
While mainstream cruises add-on-costs grow, luxury cruise lines are going increasingly all-inclusive, covering everything from gratuities to airfare. The last hold out, Crystal Cruises, recently announced it's going all-inclusive, too.
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Norwegian Epic: A First Look
Editor Doug Stallings sailed on last weekend's New York inaugural sailing of Norwegian Cruise Line's (NCL) new ship, the massive, 4,100-passenger Norwegian Epic. The Epic is NCL's largest cruise ship, with alternating Western and Eastern Caribbean itineraries throughout 2010. He loved many aspects of the ship—outstanding entertainment; lovely décor, especially for an NCL ship; a wide range of restaurants; excellent solo cabins; and really fun water slides—but he also has some serious reservations about many issues on board.
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Cruise Ship Cuisine From a Chef's Point of View
Editor Doug Stallings recently had the chance to sample the cuisine on a new luxury ship, Silversea's Silver Spirit, as well as Cunard's Queen Mary 2, and was able to speak to Cunard's executive chef, Jean-Marie Zimmerman, who gave me some useful insight into the cruise-ship experience from a chef's point of view.
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5 Places to Travel with Your Tax Refund
Tax refund season is the ideal time to travel, especially if you've received some unexpected cash flow. As luck would have it, most warm-weather destinations are entering their low seasons just as refund payments are arriving in bank accounts. Here are some destinations to consider.
